David H. Webber Produces the Research Handbook on Representative Shareholder Litigation
Webber’s second book about shareholder rights law presents research from leading scholars in the field.
In preparation for the annual corporate and securities litigations workshop in 2016, Professor David H. Webber and three colleagues sought submissions for a new compendium on shareholder litigation. The four professors, experts in transactional law, gathered a diverse array of academic and professional perspectives to create the Research Handbook on Representative Shareholder Litigation.
Webber collaborated with Jessica Erickson of the University of Richmond, Sean Griffith of Fordham University, and Verity Winship of the University of Illinois. Over two years of research and editing, the four scholars curated the collection of research about shareholder litigation.
“The basic idea of this book was to get the latest research all in one volume from leading scholars, both from the US and abroad,” Webber says.
Researchers and practitioners from Canada, China, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States contributed work. Each piece brings a unique perspective and methodology toward shareholder litigation, covering topics such as securities class action, merger litigation, and shareholder derivative suits. The selections showcase viewpoints that are both critical of and sympathetic to the power of shareholder lawsuits.
In the two years following the workshop, the four professors divided the submissions among themselves and worked with the authors to edit the pieces.
With the responsibilities of a full-time faculty member, Webber says finding time for research is a “balancing act.”
“Fortunately, there is a lot of time built into the job,” he says. “Boston University gives a lot of support and encouragement for research.”
Research assistants brought extra support and knowledge to his academic work. Their tasks include sourcing, writing research memos, and finding articles.
“These are students who typically performed well in one or more of my classes,” he says. “If they’re strong students interested in the subject matter, I’ve asked them to work with me as an assistant.”
In addition to their invaluable help with his research, Webber appreciates the chance to get to know the students better. He and one of his current research assistants, Connor Flaherty (’19), are coauthoring an article on securities regulation.
Webber recently authored The Rise of the Working-Class Shareholder: Labor’s Last Best Weapon, about the power of worker pensions in shareholder activism. The book argued for shareholders to utilize their pension investments to protect their own interests. The Research Handbook on Representative Shareholder Litigation provides readers with a contextualization of some of the issues introduced in Webber’s previous work.
Watch: Professor David H. Webber discusses his first book, The Rise of the Working Class Shareholder: Labor’s Last Best Weapon
Reported by Josee Matela (CAS/COM’20)
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