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Securities class actions, corporate governance and managerial agency problems

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  • Philip E. Strahan

Abstract

This paper provides support for the proposition that securities class actions help solve agency problems. Two key findings support this conclusion. First, firms that are more likely to suffer from agency problems are more likely to face class actions. Risky firms, large firms, young firms, low market-to-book firms and non-dividend paying firms as of the end of 1990 were more likely to face a class action filing during the January 1991 to March 1998 period. Second, the probability of CEO turnover increases dramatically after class action filings. The increase can not be explained by omitted firm-specific characteristics, financial distress, or the possibility that CEO turnover increases the likelihood that a lawyer will file a class action.

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  • Philip E. Strahan, 1998. "Securities class actions, corporate governance and managerial agency problems," Research Paper 9816, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednrp:9816
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    1. Dalla Pellegrina, Lucia & Saraceno, Margherita, 2011. "Securities class actions in the US banking sector: Between investor protection and bank stability," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 215-227, December.
    2. Michael S. Gibson, 1998. "\"Big Bang\" deregulation and Japanese corporate governance: a survey of the issues," International Finance Discussion Papers 624, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    3. McTier, Brian C. & Wald, John K., 2011. "The causes and consequences of securities class action litigation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 649-665, June.
    4. Zhiyan Cao & Ganapathi Narayanamoorthy, 2005. "The Effect of Litigation Risk on Management Earnings Forecasts," Yale School of Management Working Papers amz2379, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Feb 2009.
    5. Matteo Cotugno & Antonio D'Amato & Angela Gallo & Valeria Stefanelli, 2021. "Do supervisory enforcement actions affect board composition?," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 22-44, January.
    6. Pattarin Adithipyangkul & H. Y. Hung & T. Y. Leung, 2021. "An Auditor's Perspective of Executive Incentive Pay and Dividend Payouts in Family Firms," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 697-714, December.

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