Shannon was a juror in the 1984 Houston trial that awarded $10.5 billion damages to the Pennzoil Company in its lawsuit against Texaco for preempting Pennzoil's supposedly binding merger agreement with Getty Oil. The verdict stunned the business world and Texaco declared bankruptcy; a compromise four years later reduced the award to $3 billion. With excerpts from court testimony and legal arguments between lawyers, bankers and executives, Shannon reconstructs the four-month trial, adding narrative and interpretations of his own. He tells how jury-room deliberations led to a consensus that Texaco had interfered intentionally, and therefore illegally, with Pennzoil's ``done deal'' and must pay a $3 billion penalty in addition to the $7.5 billion Pennzoil claimed to have lost by not acquiring Getty's oil reserves. Major ad/promo; author tour. (June) Copyright 1988 Cahners Business Information.

The right to a jury trial is a fundamental feature of the American justice system. In recent years, however, aspects of the civil jury system have increasingly come under attack. Many question the ability of lay jurors to decide complex scientific and technical questions that often arise in civil suits. Others debate the high and rising costs of litigation, the staggering delay in resolving disputes, and the quality of justice. Federal and state courts, crowded with growing numbers of criminal cases, complain about handling difficult civil matters. As a result, the jury trial is effectively being challenged as a means for resolving disputes in America. Juries have been reduced in size, their selection procedures altered, and the unanimity requirement suspended. For many this development is viewed as necessary. For others, it arouses deep concern. In this book, a distinguished group of scholars, attorneys, and judges examine the civil jury system and discuss whether certain features should be modified or reformed. The book features papers presented at a conference cosponsored by the Brookings Institution and the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association, together with an introductory chapter by Robert E. Litan. While the authors present competing views of the objectives of the civil jury system, all agree that the jury still has and will continue to have an important role in the American system of civil justice. The book begins with a brief history of the jury system and explains how juries have become increasingly responsible for decisions of great difficulty. Contributors then provide an overview of the system's objectives and discuss whether, and to what extent, actual practice meets those objectives. They summarize how juries function and what attitudes lawyers, judges, litigants, former jurors, and the public at large hold about the current system. The second half of the book is devoted to a wide range of recommendations that w

The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to modern corporate restructuring techniques Mergers and acquisitions are two of today's most important competitive tools used by corporations in a rapidly changing global business landscape. In this new updated and revised Third Edition of his groundbreaking book-winner of the Book of the Year Award in its category from the Association of American Publishers-author, business valuations expert, and professor Patrick Gaughan illustrates how mergers, acquisitions, and other vital forms of restructuring can work for corporations. This University Edition includes review questions specifically designed for finance students and those studying for the MBA degree. Packed with helpful advice and proven strategies, this book: * Explains virtually every type of corporate restructuring, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts, and more * Details the latest trends and delivers a modern, international perspective on the field * Integrates the latest relevant research in the field of mergers into the book's pragmatic treatment of the subject * Offers comprehensive coverage of the latest methods and techniques for business valuations of both public and closely held companies * Looks at the key strategies and motivating factors that arise during the course of restructurings * Analyzes and incorporates necessary legal, economic, and corporate finance considerations * Offers the best offensive and defensive tactics for hostile takeovers

This book tells the stories of nine iconic trials. The themes of these cases include treason, racial justice, the death penalty, fraud, personal rights, women's rights, product safety, and corporate misdeeds. The chapters show lawyers at work, creating a relationship with a litigant seeking justice, and then taking that claim into the courtroom. These chapters are excellent vehicles for teaching all the elements of trial advocacy, including jury selection, opening statement, direct and cross-examination, use of expert testimony, and closing argument. The book shows us that advocacy does make a difference, and that advocacy skills can be taught and learned.

The ABA Journal serves the legal profession. Qualified recipients are lawyers and judges, law students, law librarians and associate members of the American Bar Association.

This is a reprint of a previously published work. It deals with the rules of th game of megamergers: the stategies, the legl maneuvers, the daring moves and counter-moves of corporate titans.