Martin A. Asher Faculty Profile

Martin A. Asher
Adjunct Professor of Finance
Director, Research and Scholars Programs

PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1986; MA, University of Pennsylvania, 1979; BA, Stanford University, 1977

Research Areas
Law and economics; antitrust; income distribution; gender and race wage differentials

Recent Consulting
Expert economic testimony in antitrust cases regarding allegations of price fixing and market allocation, including analysis of class certification issues and construction of damages models. Court-appointed expert in largest U.S. gender discrimination damages case. Contract research and evaluation for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Welfare.

Academic Positions Held
Wharton: 1995-present (Director, Research and Scholars Programs 2004-present; Director, Joseph Wharton Scholars Program, 2000-present). University of Pennsylvania: 1997-2000 (Associate Director, Institute for Law and Economics). Visiting appointments: Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College. Previous appointment: Villanova University

Career and Recent Professional Awards; Teaching Awards
2000, 2002, 2005 William G. Whitney Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching in the Associated Faculty, The Wharton School; 2000 Kravis Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching in Economics, Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences

Representative Publications
(with R. Kiser and B. McShane)
“Let’s Not Make a Deal: An Empirical Analysis of Decision Making in Unsuccessful Settlement Negotiations.” Journal of Empirical Legal Studies Vol. 3, No. 2 (September 2008).

(with J. Del Roccili and J. Fuhr)
“The Antitrust Implications of Minimum Advertised Pricing: The Case of the U.S. Music Industry.” Entertainment & Sports Law Journal Vol. 3, No. 2 (Winter 2005).

(with R. DeFina)
"The Effect of Changing Union Density on Earnings Inequality in the Public and Private Sectors." Journal of Labor Research 18.3 (Summer 1997).

(with R. DeFina)
"Has Deunionization Led to Higher Earnings Inequality?" Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Business Review (November/December 1995).

(with R. DeFina)
"Age-Adjustment of Income Inequality Trends: A Methodological Critique." Journal of Economic and Social Measurement 21.1 (1995).

(with C. Asher)
"The Wage Rate Effects of Occupational Labor Market Tightness." Eastern Economic Journal 16.1 (January-March 1990).

(with J. Popkin)
"The Effect of Gender and Race Differentials on Public-Private Wage Comparisons: A Study of Postal Workers." Industrial & Labor Relations Review 38.1 (October 1984).

"On the Estimation of Payroll Tax Incidence: Comment." Southern Economic Journal (April 1984).