Firms significantly modify their payout policy in anticipation of future litigation costs. We examine a comprehensive sample of U.S. corporate lawsuits and find that firms facing significant litigation risk pay lower dividends, and in some cases omit dividends while distributing more cash...

This study examines whether dividend payout, an internal corporate governance mechanism, is a substitute or an outcome of product market competition, an external corporate governance mechanism. The sample includes firms in six of the world's most prominent economies. We find that firms in more...