Ian Ayres

Ian Ayres is a lawyer and economist, currently serving as the William K. Townsend Professor at Yale Law School, the Anne Urowsky Professorial Fellow in Law, and a Professor at Yale's School of Management.

He contributes as a columnist for Forbes magazine and writes for the New York Times Freakonomics blog. His commentary has been featured on public radio’s “Marketplace.” Notably, Ayres's research has gained attention on television programs such as "Primetime Live," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and "Good Morning America," and in well-known publications like Time and Vogue magazines.

Ayres’s publication record includes 11 books, such as the New York Times bestseller "Super Crunchers" and his recent work, "Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done." His collaborative work in 2010 with Barry Nalebuff, "Lifecycle Investing," adds to his extensive portfolio. Additionally, he co-founded stickK.com, a website dedicated to helping individuals achieve their personal goals. His contributions to legal scholarship were recognized when he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006. That same year, his collaboration with Greg Klass, "Insincere Promises: The Law of Misrepresented Intent," received the Scribes book award for outstanding legal scholarship. Ayres has been acknowledged as one of the most prolific and most-cited law professors of his generation. From 2002 to 2009, he also served as the editor of the Journal of Law, Economics and Organization. His other notable works include "Straightforward," co-authored with Jennifer Gerarda Brown; "Optional Law"; "Why Not?" with Barry Nalebuff; "Voting with Dollars," co-authored with Bruce Ackerman; and "Pervasive Prejudice?" among others.