Skip to main content

A Game-Theoretic Approach to Legal Settlements

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Game Theory and Business Applications

Part of the book series: International Series in Operations Research & Management Science ((ISOR,volume 194))

  • 5659 Accesses

Abstract

In modern economies, adjudication is the most common means of dispute resolution when voluntary alternatives such as negotiation have been exhausted. This chapter considers the incidence of out-of-court negotiated settlements versus adjudicated outcomes as predicted by the leading game-theoretic model and addresses a number of key questions. How do various offer and acceptance methods affect the terms of out-of-court settlements? Which kinds of cases settle and which go to court? How does private information about the case merits held by one or more sides affect player strategies and outcomes?

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Babcock, L., et al. (1995). Biased judgments of fairness in bargaining. The American Economic Review, 85, 1337–1343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bebchuk, L. A. (1984). Litigation and settlement under imperfect information. The RAND Journal of Economics, 15, 404–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bebchuk, L. A. (1988). Suing solely to extract a settlement offer. The Journal of Legal Studies, 17, 437–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bebchuk, L. A. (1996). A new theory concerning the credibility of success of threats to sue. The Journal of Legal Studies, 25, 1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatterjee, K., & Samuelson, W. (1983). Bargaining under incomplete information. Management Science, 31, 835–851.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, K.-P., & Wang, J.-S. (2006). Fee-shifting rules in litigation with contingency fees. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organizations, 23, 519–546.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, A., & Sanchirico, C. W. (2004). Should plaintiffs win what defendants lose? Litigation stakes, litigation effort, and the benefits of decoupling. The Journal of Legal Studies, 33, 323–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung, T.-Y. (1996). Settlement of litigation under rule 68: An economic analysis. The Journal of Legal Studies, 25, 261–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooter, R. D., & Rubinfeld, D. L. (1989). Economic analysis of legal disputes and their resolution. Journal of Economic Literature, 27, 1067–1097.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daughety, A. F. (2000). Settlement. In B. Bouckaert & G. DeGeest (Eds.), Encyclopedia of law and economics (pp. 95–158). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daughety, A. F., & Reinganum, J. F. (1994). Settlement negotiations with two sided asymmetric information: Model duality, information distribution, and efficiency. International Review of Law and Economics, 14, 283–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daughety, A. F., & Reinganum, J. F. (2012). Settlement. In C. W. Sanchirico (Ed.), Procedural law and economics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber, H. S., & White, M. J. (1991). Medical malpractice: An empirical examination of the litigation process. The RAND Journal of Economics, 22, 199–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, D., & Wittman, D. (2006). Litigation with symmetric bargaining and two-sided incomplete information. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, 23, 98–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gould, J. P. (1973). The economics of legal conflicts. The Journal of Legal Studies, 2, 279–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennan, J., & Wilson, R. (1993). Bargaining with private information. Journal of Economic Literature, 31, 45–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, D. P., & Rubinfeld, D. L. (2008). Empirical studies of the civil justice system. In A. M. Polinsky & S. Shavell (Eds.), Handbook of law and economics (Vol. 1, pp. 343–402). Amsterdam: Elsevier B.V.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kiser, R. L., Asher, M. A., & McShane, B. B. (2008). Let’s not make a deal: An empirical study of decision making in unsuccessful settlement negotiations. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 5, 551–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klement, A. (2003). Threats to sue and cost divisibility under asymmetric information. International Review of Law and Economics, 23, 261–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klement, A., & Neeman, Z. (2005). Against compromise: A mechanism design approach. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organizations, 21, 285–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landes, W. M. (1971). An economic analysis of the courts. Journal of Law and Economics, 14, 61–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsey, J. H., Samuelson, W., & Zeckhauser, R. (1996). Selling procedures with private information and common values. Management Science, 42(2), 220–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linhart, P. B., Radner, R., & Satterthwaite, M. A. (1992). Bargaining with incomplete information. New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Main, B. G. M., & Park, A. (2000). The British and American rules: An experimental examination of pre-trial bargaining in the shadow of the law. Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 44, 37–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milgrom, P., & Stokey, N. (1982). Information, trade and common knowledge. Journal of Economic Theory, 26(1), 17–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P’ng, I. P. L. (1983). Strategic behavior in suit, settlement, and trial. Bell Journal of Economics, 14, 539–550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinganum, J. F., & Wilde, L. L. (1986). Settlement, litigation, and the allocation of litigation costs. The RAND Journal of Economics, 17, 557–566.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rickman, N. (1999). Contingent fees and litigation settlement. International Review of Law and Economics, 19, 295–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, W. (1998). Settlements out of court: Efficiency and equity. Group Decision and Negotiation, 7, 157–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schweizer, U. (1989). Litigation and settlement under two-sided incomplete information. Review of Economic Studies, 56, 163–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shavell, S. (1982). Suit, settlement and trial: A theoretical analysis under alternative methods for the allocation of legal costs. The Journal of Legal Studies, 11, 55–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spier, K. E. (1992). The dynamics of pretrial negotiation. Review of Economic Studies, 59, 93–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spier, K. E. (1994a). Pretrial bargaining and the design of fee-shifting rules. The RAND Journal of Economics, 25, 197–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spier, K. E. (1994b). Settlement bargaining and the design of damage awards. Journal of Law, Economics and Organization, 10, 84–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spier, K. E. (2007). Litigation. In A. M. Polinsky & S. Shavell (Eds.), Handbook of law and economics (Vol. 1, pp. 259–342). Amsterdam: Elsevier B.V.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Waldfogel, J. (1998). Reconciling asymmetric information and divergent expectations theories of litigation. The Journal of Legal Studies, 41, 451–476.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to William Samuelson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Samuelson, W. (2014). A Game-Theoretic Approach to Legal Settlements. In: Chatterjee, K., Samuelson, W. (eds) Game Theory and Business Applications. International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, vol 194. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7095-3_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics