Robert Bird

Eversource Energy Chair in Business Ethics University of Connecticut

  • Storrs CT

Robert Bird is an expert in corporate compliance, employment law, legal strategy, business ethics, and corporate governance.

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Spotlight

2 min

Disney, DeSantis, and Corporate Dilemmas

The Florida state legislature recently voted to end the Walt Disney Co.’s special tax district, which has permitted the Orlando amusement park to govern its land and save millions each year in taxes. The decision followed a clash between Disney executives and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over recent legislation that prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for children in kindergarten through Grade 3. UConn's Professor Robert Bird, the Eversource Energy Chair in Business Ethics and past president of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, sat down with UConn Today to talk about clash between the corporation and Florida government as well as the implications for other companies that may be facing similar moral and ethical dilemmas: Q: There are so many layers to this story, from taxation to self-governance, political power to human rights. What strikes you as most significant? From one perspective, this is a debate over the role of LGBTQ+ education in schools. From another perspective, this raises the broader issue of the implications of private companies speaking and acting on matters of public policy. Corporations can no longer remain neutral or silent on major issues facing American society. Consumers, employees, shareholders, and the public are increasingly expecting companies to take a stand on controversies that matter to them. Just as some companies are being punished for not severing their relationships with Russia, because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so are companies like Disney expected to speak out against public policies that contradict the values of its stakeholders. Q: Why does Disney play an important role in this issue? Disney is an important participant in the underlying “Don’t Say Gay” dispute. Disney has a powerful public brand and takes care to cultivate a family-friendly image worldwide. Disney has also been a long-standing leader in supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Disney has provided health benefits to same-sex partners since 1995, and allowed “Gay Days” at Walt Disney World since 1991. Public opinion was more hostile toward LGBTQ+ rights then, and Disney stood by its values even with the ensuing controversy. For Disney to “stand down” when so many people were advocating for Disney’s support in opposition to the bill, would have eroded its long-standing support of gay rights generally. Q: What message does this send to other CEOs who might be caught in a moral, ethical, or environmental debate with government leaders? The message sent to other companies is that politicians will not remain idle if a company opposes favored legislation or enters the sphere of public debate. Firms need to walk a fine line between standing up for their values and eroding relationships with political leaders. This is an important story, and if you're a reporter looking to know more or would like to schedule and interview with Professor Bird, then let us help. Click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Robert Bird

2 min

Is a four-day workweek on the horizon?

Is Thursday about to become the new Friday? UConn’s Robert Bird spoke with the Washington Post about the possibility of a four-day workweek and what might be the driving force behind it: New Zealand's and Finland's prime ministers have floated the idea of a four-day workweek. The U.K. Labour Party in 2019 campaigned on the idea that workweeks would be shortened in the next decade. A number of employers have also begun to move in that direction. On Tuesday, Kickstarter announced it would reduce employees' hours without reducing pay next year, reported the Atlantic. Microsoft in Japan instituted a temporary three-day weekend in August 2019 which resulted in a reported 40% increase in productivity, according to the company, and reduced electricity consumption and paper printing. "A five-day workweek was never a given," Robert Bird, a professor of business law at the University of Connecticut, told The Washington Post, adding that unions fought hard to scrap the six-day workweek norm in the early 1900s. "A five-day workweek was never something that was unchangeable or immutable." "Younger people are demanding more out of their work environment than just a paycheck," he said. "They want to work with someone who believes in their values and the expression of a four-day workweek sends a signal that the company cares about work-life balance in a significant and meaningful way." June 25 – Washington Post It’s an interesting concept, and one that will be getting a lot of attention. If you are a journalist looking to cover this topic, let our experts help with your stories. Robert Bird is an expert in the areas of corporate compliance, employment law, legal strategy, business ethics, and corporate governance. Professor Bird is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Robert Bird

Biography

Robert Bird conducts research in compliance, employment law, legal strategy, intellectual property, law and marketing, business and human rights, and related fields. Robert has authored over seventy academic publications, including articles in the Journal of Law and Economics, American Business Law Journal, Law and Society Review, Connecticut Law Review, Boston College Law Review, and the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Robert has received sixteen research-related awards, including the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) best international paper award, distinguished proceedings award, and the Holmes-Cardozo best overall conference paper award. He has also received the best junior faculty paper award from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Business Law Association two years in a row, a distinguished paper award from the Pacific Southwest Academy of Legal Studies in Business, and a best paper award from the North East Academy of Legal Studies in Business. Robert was also awarded the highest honor for a new ALSB professor, the Junior Faculty of the Year Award, in 2003. Robert’s teaching-related awards include winning the outstanding article of the year award two years in a row from the Journal of Legal Studies Education, receiving the student-selected Alpha Kappa Psi Teacher of the Year award, and being a three-time invited finalist to the ALSB Master Teacher Competition.

Robert was editor in chief of the American Business Law Journal in 2012-13, publishing the 50th anniversary issue. He also served as administrative editor, articles editor, senior articles editor, and managing editor from 2006 through 2012. Robert is also a manuscript reviewer for several journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Legal Studies Education, Journal of Management and Governance, and Law and Society Review, among others.

Areas of Expertise

Corporate Governance
Employment Law
Business Law
Corporate Compliance
Business Ethics
Legal Risk Management

Education

Boston University School of Law

J.D.

Boston University Graduate School of Managment

M.B.A.

Accomplishments

2022 Kay Duffy Service Award for Extraordinary Service, Academy of Legal Studies in Business

The Kay Duffy Award is recognizes outstanding contributions to the profession and the academy. The Academy of Legal Studies in Business is the premier academic organization for research and teaching in business law, legal studies and related disciplines.

Social

Media Appearances

How Legal Counsel Can Help Prevent And Mitigate Crisis Situations

Forbes  online

2025-04-15

Companies can be at risk for two types of legal crisis situations: volatile and ambiguous, according to Robert C. Bird, a professor of business law at the University of Connecticut and author of Legal Knowledge in Organizations: A Source of Strategic and Competitive Advantage.

An example of a volatile crisis is “an unexpected application of a statute by a court, a new reinterpretation of a regulation that jeopardizes business practices, or a foreign government illegally seizing assets for political gain are examples of volatile legal crises,” he explained in an email interview.

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The Growing Gap Between College Grads And Available Jobs

Forbes  online

2024-07-24

Robert Bird, who serves as Professor of Business Law at the University of Connecticut, points out some other reasons college graduates end up working in alternative fields. Some find a new interest late in their college career but finish out their current major because it is too difficult to switch, he says, whereas others find an employer-specific reason to take a different job.

"A strong corporate culture or sense of mission can attract graduates to new opportunities at an unexpected employer," says Bird.

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Boeing leadership shakeup raises questions after 737 Max 9 blowout

The Hill  online

2024-03-27

Robert Bird, a professor of business law at the University of Connecticut, told The Hill that “Boeing’s change in leadership is not enough to fix its problems.”

“Boeing must undergo a long and difficult process of changing the culture under which it operates. Safety and quality must be second to none,” Bird said.

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Articles

Caremark Compliance for the Next Twenty-Five Years

American Business Law Journal

2020

One of the most influential cases in corporate governance is In re Caremark Inc. Derivative Litigation (Caremark). In 1996, Caremark imposed a novel duty on boards of directors to make a good faith attempt to implement and exercise oversight over obligations leading to liability. Breach of this minimal duty has been difficult for plaintiffs to plead and prove, and the caselaw is littered with dismissed Caremark lawsuits.

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Vaccinating Legal Scholarship from Distorted Science: Evidence from the Anti-GMO Movement

UConn School of Business Research Paper

2020

Scientific research has a profound impact on formulation of public policy. However, legal research, often dependent on intermediaries to communicate scientific knowledge, is all too vulnerable to accepting science fiction as science fact. Too few legal scholars have highlighted this vulnerability, leaving the academy vulnerable to promoting public policy solutions that contradict the best science available.

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Anti-GMO and Vaccine-Autism Public Policy Campaigns in the Court of Public Opinion

Hastings Law Journal

2020

Science skepticism is on the rise worldwide, and it has a pernicious influence on science and science-based public policy. This article explores two of the most controversial science-based public policy issues: whether genetically modified foods are inherently unsafe and whether vaccines cause autism spectrum disorder. After evaluating the scientific credibility and discursive power of these claims, this article analyzes how changes in public opinion can shift public policy away from anti-scientific practices.

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