Christopher Yust

Professor, James Benjamin Department of Accounting; Deloitte Foundation Leadership Professorship in Accounting; Andersen Students Professorship in Accounting
Contact Areas of Expertise Financial Accounting

Biography

Christopher Yust is an accounting professor and holds both the Deloitte Foundation Leadership Professorship and the Andersen Students Professorship in Accounting. He received a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Texas, a M.S. in Finance and B.B.A in Accounting from Texas A&M University, and has a CPA license to practice accounting in Texas. He spends most of my days immersed in the accounting world, teaching and creating exciting research.

His research focuses on topics with real-world implications that can inform public policy in three interconnected areas: (1) the intersection of law and accounting, (2) accounting standard setting, and (3) bank behavior and financial reporting. To date, his interdisciplinary research has been published 24 times and can be found in leading scholarly journals in accounting, finance, law, and economics.

As a teacher, he prioritizes critical thinking and real-world application in my classes. He has taught financial accounting to students at all levels, from introductory to advanced. He currently co-teaches accounting theory to master’s students and a capital markets seminar to doctoral students.

Before becoming a professor, Christopher Yust worked as a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in their advisory and consulting practice in New York and as a postgraduate technical assistant at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in Connecticut. He also has prior audit experience in Texas and New York. I primarily worked with clients in the financial services industry. His engagements spanned from implementing new standards, structuring transactions to meet accounting and finance objectives, fair value accounting, IFRS conversion, derivative identification, and financial due diligence.

In his (limited) free time, he loves to hang out with his amazing wife, delightful daughter, and their goofy rescue dogs. He is involved in his local church, loves to run, and has a voracious appetite for books.

Courses Taught:
ACCT 680, Accounting Information and Financial Markets
ACCT 651, Development of Accounting Thought
ACCT 327, Intermediate Financial Accounting I

Education

  • Ph.D. in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin
  • M.S. in Finance and B.B.A. in Accounting from Texas A&M University

Publications

‘No Comment’: Language Frictions and the IASB’s Due Process
“‘No Comment’: Language Frictions and the IASB’s Due Process” with Eduardo Flores, Brian Monsen, and Emily Shafron. Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 42 (1), pp. 446–489, Spring 2025.
Current Issues Faced by Controllers
“Current Issues Faced by Controllers” with Anthony Bucaro and Jeff Wilks. Accounting Horizons, Vol. 38 (4), pp. 31–49, December 2024.
The Effect of Securities Litigation Risk on Firm Value and Disclosure
“The Effect of Securities Litigation Risk on Firm Value and Disclosure” with Dain Donelson, Christian Hutzler, and Brian Monsen. Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 41 (3), pp.1785–1818, Fall 2024.
Getting Back to the Source: A New Approach to Measuring Ex Ante Litigation Risk using Plaintiff-Lawyer Views of SEC Filings
“Getting Back to the Source: A New Approach to Measuring Ex Ante Litigation Risk using Plaintiff-Lawyer Views of SEC Filings” with Antonis Kartapanis. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Vol. 59 (3), pp. 1213–1256, May 2024.
The Effect of Shareholder Scrutiny on Corporate Tax Behavior: Evidence from Shareholder Tax Litigation
“The Effect of Shareholder Scrutiny on Corporate Tax Behavior: Evidence from Shareholder Tax Litigation” with Dain Donelson, Jennifer Glenn, and Sean McGuire. Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 41 (1), pp. 163–194, Spring 2024.
The Merits of Securities Litigation and Corporate Reputation
“The Merits of Securities Litigation and Corporate Reputation” with Dain Donelson and Antonis Kartapanis. Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 41 (1), pp. 424–458, Spring 2024.
Are Public Health Policies Associated with Corporate Innovation? Evidence from U.S. Nonsmoking Laws
“Are Public Health Policies Associated with Corporate Innovation? Evidence from U.S. Nonsmoking Laws” with Brant Christensen and Adam Olson. Research Policy, Vol. 52 (1), pp. 1–22, December 2023.
Spillover Effects in Disclosure-Related Securities Litigation
“Spillover Effects in Disclosure-Related Securities Litigation” with Dain Donelson and Rachel Flam. The Accounting Review, Vol. 97 (5), pp. 275–299, September 2022.
The Effects of Independent Director Litigation Risk
“The Effects of Independent Director Litigation Risk” with Dain Donelson and Elizabeth Tori. Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 39 (2), pp. 982–1022, Summer 2022.
Is Tax Aggressiveness Associated with Tax Litigation Risk? Evidence from D&O Insurance
“Is Tax Aggressiveness Associated with Tax Litigation Risk? Evidence from D&O Insurance” with Dain Donelson and Jennifer Glenn. Review of Accounting Studies, Vol. 27, pp. 519–569, June 2022.
Are All Activists Created Equal? The Effect of Interventions by Hedge Funds and Other Private Activists on Long-term Shareholder Value
“Are All Activists Created Equal? The Effect of Interventions by Hedge Funds and Other Private Activists on Long-term Shareholder Value” with Ed Swanson and Glen Young. Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 72, pp. 1–33, February 2022.
U.S. Evidence from D&O Insurance on Accounting-Related Agency Costs: Implications for Country-Specific Studies
“U.S. Evidence from D&O Insurance on Accounting-Related Agency Costs: Implications for Country-Specific Studies” with Dain Donelson and Brian Monsen. Journal of Financial Reporting, Vol. 6 (2), pp. 63–87, Fall 2021.
Measuring Accounting Fraud and Irregularities Using Public and Private Enforcement
“Measuring Accounting Fraud and Irregularities Using Public and Private Enforcement” with Dain Donelson, Antonis Kartapanis, and John McInnis. The Accounting Review, Vol. 96 (6), pp. 183–213, November 2021.
Does Media Coverage Cause Meritorious Shareholder Litigation? Evidence from the Stock Option Backdating Scandal
“Does Media Coverage Cause Meritorious Shareholder Litigation? Evidence from the Stock Option Backdating Scandal” with Dain Donelson and Antonis Kartapanis. Journal of Law & Economics, Vol. 64 (3), pp. 567–601, August 2021.
Internal Control Quality and Bank Risk-Taking and Performance
“Internal Control Quality and Bank Risk-Taking and Performance” with Matthew Baugh and Matthew Ege. AUDITING: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Vol. 40 (2), pp. 49–84, May 2021.

Research Interests

Financial Accounting and Reporting

Accountability

Standard Setting and Disclosure Regulation