PUBLICATIONS

Reports

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bridging the credibility gap: eight corporate liability accounting loopholes that regulators must close
Sanford Lewis, Esq.
June 2009
The current financial crisis has highlighted the failure of the federal regulatory system to ensure honest accounting. This report examines a set of disclosure loopholes yet to be closed relating to whether companies provide honest accounting on their potential and pending liabilities. It focuses on two case studies — asbestos and nanomaterials — to assess the effectiveness of the existing regulatory system and to develop recommendations for improvements.
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View video interview with author (13 mins., Flash)

Public Awareness Drives Market for Safer Alternatives: Bisphenol A Market Analysis Report
Paul S. Bailin, M.A., with Margaret Byrne, M.S., Sanford Lewis, Esq., and Richard Liroff, Ph.D.
September 2008
This report analyzes market trends for companies that make products containing bisphenol A as well as businesses developing and selling BPA-free products. Despite the continuing debates regarding the interpretation of emerging scientific data on BPA exposure, consumers and many manufacturers and retailers erred on the side of caution — choosing to reduce exposure to this chemical.
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Toxic Stock Syndrome: How Corporate Financial Reports Fail to Apprise Investors of the Risks of Product Recalls and Toxic Liabilities
Sanford Lewis, Esq.
April 2008
Product toxicity review finds annual securities reports fail to disclose financial risks known to corporate managers from: supply chain weaknesses before and after the 2007 toy recalls due to lead paint; the new European chemical regulatory program, "REACH"; scientific studies showing chemicals in cleaning products can contribute to asthma; studies signaling potential health hazards from the Bisphenol A in baby bottles and other products; and studies of health risks of nanotechnology.
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mutual neglect: how the largest institutions in the stock market ignore health problems and financial threats stemming from toxic product liabilities
Bill Baue, Jonas Kron, Sanford Lewis, Richard A. Liroff, Tim Little
February 2008
Toxic chemicals in products may create liabilities for companies and their shareholders. This report reviews mutual funds' voting records on shareholder resolutions addressing toxic chemical issues and offers recommendations to the mutual fund industry and investors in mutual funds
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ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ENTER THE MAINSTREAM
Professor Andrea Larson and students from the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business
April 2007
Six mini-case studies cosponsored by IEHN offer examples of innovation and efficency that save money, eliminate chemical hazard and toxicity, differentiate products and services, increase profits and revenues, and enhance brands.
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FIDUCIARY GUIDE TO TOXIC CHEMICAL RISK
Jane Ambachtsheer, Jonas Kron, Richard A. Liroff, Tim Little, Rachel Massey
March 2007
This report states the case for institutional investors — especially state and local government pension funds — to engage investment advisors, managers, and portfolio companies on safer chemicals issues so to preserve and enhance shareholder value — and provides a toolkit for doing so.
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BENEATH THE SKIN: HIDDEN LIABILITIES, MARKET RISK AND DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN THE COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
Tim Little, Sanford Lewis, Pamela Lundquist
February 2007
Beneath the skin of the glamorous cosmetics industry lurks the ugly specter of undisclosed and unquantified risk — posing problems for investors who need to make portfolio decisions based on financial facts, rather than marketing fragrance.
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CROSS CUTTING EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL LIABILITY FROM PRODUCTS
Innovest Strategic Value Advisors. Report prepared by Heather Langsner, Noran Eid
January 2007
This report comparies companies' chemical management policies in several sectors and offers case studies of leading edge companies.
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TOXIC CHEMICALS — ASIAN INVESTORS ARE AT-RISK
Melissa Brown, Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia
January 2007
Based on collaborative research with IEHN, this report describes risks to investors arising stemming from how Asian governments address toxic chemical issues, rising consumer concern in the region, and shortcomings in Asian supply chains.
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BENCHMARKING CORPORATE MANAGEMENT OF SAFER CHEMICALS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS — A TOOL FOR INVESTORS AND SENIOR EXECUTIVES
Richard A. Liroff
February 2005
This paper and derivative journal article identify innovative corporate programs to reduce product toxicity, and offer a governance framework of benchmarked “best practices” that corporate managers can use to assess their companies’ practices and investors can use in screening investments, managing portfolio risk, and engaging in shareholder actions.
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View journal article (222 KB PDF)