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Series

Business Organizations Law

University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law

2003

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

Enron, Titanic, And The Perfect Storm, Nancy B. Rapoport Jan 2003

Enron, Titanic, And The Perfect Storm, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

This article explores the contention of Jeffrey Skilling, former Enron CEO, that Enron's debacle was due to a perfect storm of events. It rejects his contention, arguing instead that Enron's downfall was more like Titanic's - hubris and an over-reliance on checks and balances led to Enron's downfall. The article then explores how character (especially of those at the top of an organization) can lead to Enron-like disasters, and discusses how cognitive dissonance can lead to very smart people making very stupid decisions. It ends with some musings about how lawyers can learn from Enron.


Summary Of Nittinger V. Holman, Cami Perkins Jan 2003

Summary Of Nittinger V. Holman, Cami Perkins

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Respondents, Dedric Holman and Christina Edwards, were gambling at the Gold Coast Hotel when a physical confrontation arose between John Nittinger, a security guard, and Holman. When Holman tried to run, security officers pursued him and held him to the ground. According to Holman’s testimony, the guards made racial slurs, punched, kicked and beat him. The security shift supervisor was present during part of the incident. The district court instructed the jury that it could find the Gold Coast liable for punitive damages if a “managerial agent” authorized or ratified the guards’ conduct. The jury awarded respondents $198,000 in compensatory …