Robert Bird

The Rule of Law is Key to Capitalism − Eroding it is Bad News for American Business

Posted on by Robert Bird

UConn Today – Something dangerous is happening to the U.S. economy, and it’s not inflation or trade wars. Chaotic deregulation and the selective enforcement of laws have upended markets and investor confidence. At one point, the threat of tariffs and resulting chaos evaporated US$4 trillion in value in the U.S. stock market. This approach isn’t helping the economy, and there are troubling signs it will hurt both the U.S. and the global economy in the short and long term.

The rule of law – the idea that legal rules apply to everyone equally, regardless of wealth or political connections − is essential for a thriving economy. Yet globally the respect for the rule of law is slipping, and the U.S. is slipping with it. According to annual rankings from the World Justice Project, the rule of law has declined in more than half of all countries for seven years in a row. The rule of law in the U.S., the most economically powerful nation in the world, is now weaker than the rule of law in Uruguay, Singapore, Latvia and over 20 other countries.

Originally published in The Conversation.

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Robert Bird: Legal Strategy is an Untapped Competitive Advantage for Companies

Posted on by Scott Slater III

UConn Today – CEOs and corporations should integrate legal strategy – an often-overlooked competitive advantage – into the core of their business plans, says Business law professor Robert Bird.

“Legal knowledge is the last great source of untapped competitive advantage in organizations, and the corporations that recognize this can unlock a storehouse of value creation that their rivals might miss,’’ Bird says.

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Ageism In The Workplace: How It May Be Affecting More Than Just Older Americans

Posted on by Scott Slater III

AOL – Amidst all the talk about diversity and inclusion, ageism in the workplace is sometimes overlooked. There’s a reason for that.

Just in the last year, the American Psychological Association dubbed ageism “the last socially acceptable prejudice.” They define ageism as “discrimination against older people because of negative and inaccurate stereotypes.”

As we take a look at ageism as a dimension of diversity, I think it’s necessary to tweak that definition a bit.

Ask the Experts – Car Insurance in CT

Posted on by Scott Slater III

Wallethub – Q: Is it fair for car insurance companies to consider gender or age when setting premiums?

A: Car insurance, typically though not always, costs more for men than women. This is because insurance companies have concluded that male drivers, particularly young male drivers, are statistically a greater risk than female drivers. Insurance companies are looking for ways evaluate their risk as effectively as possible. That said, there are already a small number of states, such as California, Massachusetts, and Michigan, which prohibit using gender to set premiums. More states might adopt those provisions in the future. Regarding age, insurers may charge more for very young and very old drivers because of their greater risk. An open question is how car insurance premiums will change for transgender and nonbinary people.

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‘Equity Now’ Speaker to Address Prevalent Employee Secret: The Invisible Disability

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – More than one billion people worldwide live with a disability, and yet a vast majority of those with ‘invisible’ disabilities try not to disclose them at work for fear of stigma and discrimination.

Lawrence Deju-Wiseman, Executive Director & Global Head of Strategic Initiatives at Morgan Stanley in London and an employee with an ‘invisible disability,’ will be the guest speaker at the final Equity Now Speaker Series event at 5 p.m. April 15.

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Amid a scandal, Vince McMahon has stepped down, again. What’s next for the founder and CT-based WWE?

Posted on by Scott Slater III

CT Insider – STAMFORD — WWE founder Vince McMahon has stepped down from the company, in the wake of a lawsuit filed last week by a former employee who accused him of sexual abuse. If that scenario sounds familiar, it is because McMahon announced his retirement a year-and-a-half ago amid a company investigation into alleged misconduct.

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