Publications

September 2002
Case

Seattle Public Schools, 1995-2002 (C2): Race, Class, and School Choice

Presents the decision by the Federal Court of Appeals for the ninth Circuit in the spring of 2002 to invalidate Seattle's use of race as a factor in allocating space in Seattle's oversubscribed schools. Summarizes the posture and content of the litigation, including... View Details

Keywords: Management; Leadership; Income; Social Entrepreneurship; Race; Lawsuits and Litigation; Education; Education Industry; Seattle

2006
Other Unpublished Work

Does Competition Increase Patent Litigation? Empirical Evidence of Strategic Patenting in the Telecom Equipment Industry

By: Juan Alcacer and Rachelle C. Sampson

Anecdotal evidence suggests that patent litigation has increased in the last 20 years as firms in knowledge intensive industries use patents more frequently to protect their knowledge stocks and managers focus on extracting new revenue streams from existing patent... View Details

Keywords: Patents; Competition; Lawsuits and Litigation

October 2009 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Wiwa v. Royal Dutch/Shell

By: Lynn S. Paine and Lara Adamsons

On the eve of trial, and after nearly 14 years of pre-trial litigation, the parties in Wiwa v. Royal Dutch/Shell jointly announced that the four U.S. lawsuits stemming from the execution of the Ogoni Nine in 1995 had been settled. View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Accountability; Lawsuits and Litigation; Nigeria; United States

October 2018 (Revised October 2019)
Case

Rio Tinto vs. the Securities and Exchange Commission

By: Aiyesha Dey, Krishna G. Palepu and Sarah Gulick

26 Sep 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, September 26, 2017

infringement lawsuits in U.S. district courts. The results of this review would be nonbinding but admissible in later court proceedings. Whether conducted by an independent Patent Litigation Review Board or... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 Dec 2016
News

When telling the truth is actually dishonest

August 2008 (Revised May 2009)
Background Note

International Enforcement of U.S. Patents

By: Robert C. Pozen and Jordan Hirsch

A company that owns a U.S. patent can enforce its patent protections in three ways: by filing a lawsuit in U.S. federal district court, by bringing action in the International Trade Commission, or through the World Trade Organization. This note discusses the pros and... View Details

Keywords: International Relations; Patents; Courts and Trials; Lawsuits and Litigation; Rights

Find at Harvard

May 2019
Teaching Note

Gender and Free Speech at Google (A), (B), & (C)

By: Nien-hê Hsieh and Sarah Mehta

Teaching Note for HBS No. 318-085, 319-095, and 319-097. View Details

Keywords: Free Speech; Representation; Diversity; Gender; Race; Human Resources; Employees; Employee Relationship Management; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Labor; Employment; Lawsuits and Litigation; Organizational Culture; Technology Industry; United States; California

August 2017 (Revised November 2019)
Case

Capitol Digital

By: Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

The case describes the acquisition of Capitol Digital, which specialized in litigation support and digital forensics, including due diligence findings and first year operational plans. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Planning

07 Jun 2017
Research & Ideas

How an African History Scholar Became a Modern Righter of Wrongs

could have been a satisfying coda to a project that had begun more than a decade prior. As it turned out, though, her research also led to a groundbreaking and successful lawsuit against the British... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

September 2009 (Revised August 2011)
Case

Urban Decay: A Great Idea

By: Lena G. Goldberg

Casual discussions of ideas for a new business can have unintended legal consequences and expectations about founder status and ownership shares may diverge widely. Using facts from a litigated case, the concept of inadvertent formation of a partnership is explored. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Spoken Communication; Lawsuits and Litigation; Ownership Stake; Partners and Partnerships

23 Jan 2015
News

How U.S. laws protecting America’s best ideas are killing innovation

05 Nov 2019
News

News Analysis: Gender bias turned out to be a wonderful indicator of WeWork’s incompetence

01 Aug 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 1

July 31, 2017 AIDS A Commitment Contract to Achieve Virologic Suppression in Poorly Adherent Patients with HIV/AIDS By: Alsan, Marcella, John Beshears, Wendy S. Armstrong, James J. Choi, Brigitte C. Madrian, Minh Ly T. Nguyen, Carlos Del Rio, David Laibson, View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2007 (Revised June 2008)
Background Note

USG

By: Elie Ofek and Kerry Herman

Serves as a background note for purposes of class discussion around next-generation innovation at USG. Describes the company, its products, and competitors. Of relevance is the fact that it recently filed for Chapter 11 due to litigation over asbestos-related claims.... View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Innovation and Invention; Lawsuits and Litigation; Competition

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09 Sep 2024
HBS Case

McDonald’s and the Post #MeToo Rules of Sex in the Workplace

recognize that a CEO is the face of the company and its brands, and steward of its culture,” says Paine. The board ousts Easterbrook, lawsuits follow The board decided to fire... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman; Food & Beverage

08 Nov 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Arbitration with Uninformed Consumers

Keywords: by Mark Egan, Gregor Matvos, and Amit Seru; Legal Services

March 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Ginzel et al v. Kolcraft Enterprises et al (A)

By: Michael A. Wheeler

Examines the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of an infant who died after a portable crib collapsed. The manufacturer, Kolcraft, licensed the Playskool brand name from the co-defendant, Hasbro Industries. Raises difficult questions about what the two... View Details

Keywords: Safety; Product; Negotiation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Lawsuits and Litigation; Legal Liability; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry; United States