We are grateful to the many lawyers, judges, other public officials, and business, consumer, and other public interest representatives who gave generously of their time and shared their perspectives, experiences, and information about class action litigation with us. We could not have conducted the study on which this book is based without their help.
We also want to thank Neuberger Berman, the New York-based investment management firm, for its generous financial support for our research and writing. Without their support, this project would not have been possible.
Additional support for the study was provided by more than a dozen law firms, corporations, and individuals, and by core funds from the Institute for Civil
Justice. The names of all of the donors are listed at the conclusion of these acknowledgements.
All of those who helped fund the study did so without placing any conditions upon the design or conduct of our research, and none had any control over the publication of the results. We gratefully acknowledge these donors’ willingness to support independent research in the public interest.
Many people encouraged us to undertake the study and offered advice along the way. We particularly want to thank Judge Patrick Higginbotham, whose interest in the use of empirical research in legal procedural reform stimulated us to consider such a project, and Sheila Birnbaum, Francis Hare, Judyth Pendell,
Paul Rheingold, and Judith Resnik, who offered helpful counsel as the study progressed. Portions of the manuscript were written while Deborah Hensler was on the faculty at the University of Southern California Law School. She gratefully acknowledges the advice of her colleagues and the assistance of
USC’s wonderful law librarians.
We also wish to thank those who reviewed drafts of the manuscript and provided us with written and oral comments: Profs. Janet Alexander, Jennifer
Arlen, Stephen Burbank, Francis McGovern, Arthur Miller, Judith Resnik, and
Tom Rowe; John Aldock, John Beisner, Sheila Birnbaum, Kim Brunner, xxiii

xxiv Class Action Dilemmas
Elisabeth Cabraser, John Frank, James Greer, William Montgomery, Paul
Rheingold, and Brian Wolfman; and RAND colleagues Alan Charles, David
Kanouse, and Barbara Williams.
A number of RAND staff helped with the production of this book and we thank them for their efforts. In particular, we are grateful to Ron Key for editing the manuscript, Miriam Polon for proofreading, Sandy Petitjean for producing the figures, and Patrice Lester for formatting.
American Home Products
Andersen Worldwide
Civil Justice Reform Group
Covington & Burling
Debevoise & Plimpton
Glaxo Wellcome Inc.
James A. Greer II
Edwin Huddleson III
Major Donor
Neuberger Berman
Donors
Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann &
Bernstein
Merck & Co., Inc.
Nissan North America, Inc.
PPG Industries Foundation
Schering-Plough Corporation
Shea & Gardner
Strasburger & Price
Union Carbide Corporation