Methodology

Who’s Who Legal does not list firms, only individual experts. The leading firms are those in each region whose listed practitioners received the most total nominations in our research. We highlight individuals at other firms who also scored very highly in our research.

The Global Elite Thought Leaders are those individuals who received the highest number of nominations from peers, corporate counsel and other market sources this year. Our research has identified them as being truly outstanding practitioners and the very best in their field.

 

EMEA

Global Elite Thought Leaders

• Matthew Bennett – Charles Rivers Associates, London
• Simon Bishop - RBB Economics, Brussels
• Cristina Caffarra – Charles River Associates, Brussels
• Raphaël De Coninck – Charles River Associates, Brussels
• Miguel de la Mano – Compass Lexecon, Brussels
• Benoît Durand – RBB Economics, Brussels
• Neil Dryden – Compass Lexecon, London
• Kirsten Edwards-Warren – Compass Lexecon, London
• Hans W Friederiszick - E.CA Economics GmbH, Berlin
• Helen Jenkins – Oxera Consulting LLP, London
• Adrian Majumdar – RBB Economics, London
• Rainer Nitsche - E.CA Economics GmbH, Berlin
• Jorge Padilla – Compass Lexecon, Madrid

 

Leading firms

 

RBB Economics

Adrian Majumdar is the “absolute first choice” according to sources, who exalt him as “the economist you want on your case, bringing a wealth of experience and a tireless work ethic in order to get the right result for his clients”.
Benoît Durand is “exceptionally adept and personable”, according to respondents impressed with his ability to apply quantitative economics to merger reviews and market inquiries.
Simon Bishop has “a peerless reputation and a formidable presence in the witness box”, combined with over 20 years’ experience as an economist.
Bojana Ignjatovic is “incredibly bright and a go-to economist”, whose expertise in horizontal merger assessments for high-profile clients make her “a highly competent competition expert”.
Andrea Lofaro is “well known and established” in the market, with experience advising on phase II merger and article 102 cases across a broad range of sectors.
Francesco Rosati comes “highly recommended” for his extensive experience advising on mergers and damages matters, with notable testifying experience.
Ethel Fonseca is “brilliant and straightforward, and provides clear input” in complex phase II investigations and follow-on damages claims. She is further praised as for having “a great understanding of her clients’ needs”, and for being “a pleasure to deal with”.
Daniel Gore receives outstanding feedback as “a highly experienced merger specialist” and a “technically brilliant economist with a real strength in UK local market cases, alongside being well received by the CMA”.
Stephen Lewis is “a smart guy with a strong reputation for abuse of dominance cases”, report sources who praise his “responsiveness and strong insight”.

 

Compass Lexecon

The “exceptional” Miguel de la Mano is renowned for his “great expertise and meticulous planning” for clients navigating merger, damages and conduct issues.
Respondents laud Neil Dryden as “a very strong technical practitioner and a great tactician with a very client-friendly approach”. He brings “efficient and goal-oriented analysis” in competition policy issues across a range of sectors.
Kirsten Edwards-Warren is cited as “having a high client satisfaction rate as well as being great to work with”. She specialises in merger investigation issues such as exclusivity rebates and predation.
Jorge Padilla is a “first-rate antitrust economist” who excels in giving testimony in merger control, cartel and abuse of dominance cases.
Elena Zoido achieves widespread recognition for her empirical evaluation of issues including price-fixing damages and merger impact.
Thilo Klein is a “standout” economist in phase-II cases and as an expert witness in notable European Commission investigations.
David Sevy garners numerous commendations for his excellent work in competition policy and on contentious issues, assisting a diverse portfolio of multinational companies.

 

Charles River Associates

Raphaël De Coninck is widely praised for his “notable experience as a merger control economist”, providing top-tier evidence and testimony in phase II investigations, cartels and abuse of dominance cases.
The “impressive” Cristina Caffarra gains plaudits for her adeptness in competition investigations, including vertical restraints, price discrimination and abusive conduct assessments.
Interviewees enthusiastically describe Lars Wiethaus as “wonderful to deal with” and “the best expert for follow-on damages”.
Matthew Bennett is “highly regarded” as an “incredibly smart economist” by sources impressed with his work in mergers and vertical agreements cases.
The “highly personable” Diana Jackson is “a top practitioner in her field”, being “extremely diligent, thorough, and possessing an impressive ability to understand key economic arguments very quickly, translating them into a compelling argument for her client”.
Laurent Flochel is strongly applauded for his broad experience in competition economic analysis across a broad spectrum of industries.

 

Oxera

“Experienced competition economist” Helen Jenkins garners recommendations for her broad sectoral grounding in a variety of competition issues and for her high-quality evidence in damages and cartel cases.
Gunnar Niels is “highly regarded” for his 20-plus years’ experience across a suite of competition policy matters, including mergers, agreements and state aid.

 

Frontier Economics

David Parker comes “highly recommended” by peers and clients, assisting on UK and EU-related mergers, agreements and inquiries at a “genius level”.
David Foster is “in high demand – clients queue around the corner to instruct him”, report interviewees who point to his exceptional European-oriented advisory and contentious work.
The “personable” Mette Alfter is a “notable counterparty” in damages, cartel and litigation cases.

Zoltan Biro is “highly experienced” and “always sought after” by domestic and European clients for his article 101 and 102 expertise.

 

AlixPartners

Mat Hughes is “exceptional at service delivery” and “gets straight to the point” on high-profile competition cases before the European Commission, the CMA and other international regulatory bodies.
Matt Hunt is “very knowledgeable and very down to earth” in his capacity as an expert witness.
The “highly recommended” Derek Holt “excels in airport regulation” and is “very experienced” at quantifying damages and assisting in abuse of dominance cases.

 

Other leading individuals

 

Belgium

The Brattle Group’s Kai-Uwe Kühn has built a sterling reputation upon 25 years’ experience advising on complex policy issues, mergers and cartel damages cases.

Aleksandra Boutin, founding partner of Positive Competition, is lauded as “smart and quick” when providing expert advice on vertical and horizontal merger issues, state aid and cartel matters for a broad range of clients.

Denmark

The “highly qualified” Erik Molin at Gorrissen Federspiel excels in offering economic advice in merger control matters, and specialises in domestic competition law.

England

Amelia Fletcher at the University of East Anglia is “very highly regarded as one of the top academics in her field”. She is recognised in particular for her ground-breaking analysis regarding online market competition policy.

At Cornerstone Research, Peter Davis is “top notch – a first-choice economist”, providing skilled econometrics on cartel damages, investigations and mergers.

Nicola Mazzarotto of KPMG is praised as “very creative in a way which complements his analysis” when approaching regulatory risk issues and merger strategy planning.

France

Patrick Rey of the Institut d’Economie Industrielle “stands out” for advising international competition bodies ranging from the World Bank to the European Commission.
Nobel Prize winner Jean Tirole gains widespread acclamation for his seminal work on competition policy.

David Spector of KPMG Economics has a notable specialism in EU and national competition issues, including concentration cases and state aid.

Germany

The “highly capable” Rainer Nitsche of E.CA Economics is acclaimed for his exceptional advisory services. His expansive experience showcases ground-breaking work in competition policy enforcement and merger control.
Sources praise Hans Friederiszick as “excellent in state aid”, providing outstanding applied microeconomic analyses across a broad range of competition issues.

Justus Haucap at DICE Consult “really is a leading economic thinker on key issues of our times, such as antitrust issues related to digitalisation and innovation”, says one source. Respondents further herald his “fantastic balance of scientific excellence and pragmatism”.

Roman Inderst at Goethe University Frankfurt achieves consistent recommendations for his top-tier research on competition policy.

Spain

Massimo Motta at Universitat Pompeu Fabra and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics is renowned for his standout work in the field. He has substantial advisory experience in litigation and policy matters.

 

North America

Global Elite Thought Leaders

• Dennis W Carlton - Compass Lexecon, Chicago
• James Langenfeld – Ankura, Washington, DC
• Janusz A Ordover - Compass Lexecon, Washington, DC
• Daniel Rubinfeld - Compass Lexecon, Oakland
• Steven C Salop – Charles River Associates, Washington, DC
• Carl Shapiro - University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley
• Robert Willig – Compass Lexecon, Washington, DC

 

Leading firms

 

Compass Lexecon

Daniel Rubinfeld is widely acclaimed for his economic consultancy expertise and regularly assists private and public sector clients on a variety of competition policy issues.
Dennis Carlton excels as a “top-rate” expert witness, executing domestic and international analyses of contract damages and regulatory matters with aplomb.
Janusz Ordover is rated by sources as “innovative and conscientious” for his work on predation, vertical integration and broader policy affairs.
Michael Katz earns widespread approval for his advice in merger and antitrust enforcement.
Robert Willig is well regarded for his extensive experience in antitrust litigation and damages evaluation.
Jonathan Orszag is heralded for producing outstanding analysis on a variety of complex contentious and non-contentious competition matters in a broad range of markets.
Peers admire Mark Israel, noting him as “extremely bright” and “practical-minded”. They add: “He really understands the government and agency perspective and is able to explain complex economic concepts easily.”
Richard Gilbert is applauded for his adept handling of mergers and competition policy in high-stakes cases.

 

Charles River Associates

Steven Salop is acclaimed as “a leading figure” in the field. His understanding of exclusionary conduct and mergers make him a go-to name.
Margaret Sanderson garners notable praise for her testifying experience and her versatile economics knowledge, with notable experience in the energy and telecommunications sectors.
Michelle Burtis is “top-notch”, providing strong economic analysis of contentious and non-contentious antitrust matters.
Gregory Vistnes attracts widespread praise as a standout testimony expert, assisting private companies and government bodies with analyses on competitive and economic effects.
Michael Salinger stands out among the leaders in the space with his excellent analyses of tying and vertical mergers and their competitive impact.
Ralph Winter is the “top choice” for parties in relation to competition policy, with a strong record testifying on behalf of consumers in regulatory hearings.

 

NERA Economic Consulting

Impressed sources praise Ramsey Shehadeh as “hard-working, creative and client-friendly” in his evaluative capacity, conducting high-quality M&A competitive effect analysis in a regulatory context.
Lawrence Wu comes “highly recommended” by respondents who applaud his adroit work in M&A analysis, class certification and damages.
Lauren Stiroh is admired for her meticulous expert reports on exclusionary conduct, vertical restrictions and abuse of standard setting.
Sumanth Addanki excels in analysing the competitive consequence of mergers across a range of industries. Respondents further highlight his strength in damages assessment and on issues such as monopolisation and tying.

 

Bates White Economic Consulting

Michael Winston is a “top name” in this area, producing high-quality expert reports and testimony on mergers, market power and price-fixing issues.
Cory Capps is “very smart, highly responsive and fully engaged” when handling a broad range of competition matters. Respondents further attest to his “strong analytical thinking” and “deep knowledge of what kinds of arguments make for effective economic evidence”.
The “thorough and deliberate” Eric Emch is a “solid antitrust economist with good interpersonal skills”. His “creative approach helps advocates tremendously”, note sources impressed with his work on consumer protection matters.
Joseph Farrell is a “great economist” whose wealth of experience in antitrust and consumer protection portfolios earns noted respect across the sector.

 

Other leading individuals

 

USA

James Langenfeld at Ankura attracts widespread commendation for his analyses of contentious and non-contentious matters, ranging from damages and class actions to regulatory impacts on consumers.
Frederick Warren-Boulton is celebrated for his excellent testimony and research in the economics of mergers, vertical restraints and monopolisation.

Global Elite Thought Leader Carl Shapiro at the University of California at Berkeley – Haas School of Business is a leading figure in the sector, receiving an outstanding response from this year’s participants. His work on network effects, competitive strategy and policy are particularly noted.

The “creative, smart and thorough” Margaret Guerin-Calvert at FTI Consulting has “the unique ability to marshal resources to respond promptly and pleasantly”. She is “responsive to questions and clarifications”, and also has “the rare ability to connect the dots where others can’t”.

Cornerstone Research’s “superb” John Asker excels in connection with antitrust policy and cartel behaviour, offering outstanding expertise for private and public bodies.

R Glenn Hubbard at Columbia Business School has an exceptional reputation for his defining analyses across a broad range of competition matters.

 

Asia-Pacific

 

Leading individuals

 

Australia

Greg Houston of HoustonKemp Economists is “outstanding and has an excellent team working under him”, with sources commenting that he is “always in demand”.

At Charles River Associates, the “sensible and frequently requested” Jennifer Fish is “excellent” when it comes to abuse of dominance analysis and damage estimations, and is viewed as a “rising star” in the field.

Tom Hird at CEG is “one of the smartest economists working in the Australian market – arguably the smartest”, notes an impressed peer.
Jason Ockerby is “frequently sought after by clients and has a well-thought-through approach”, built on more than 20 years spent working on competition and regulatory matters. He focuses on the telecoms, energy and mining industries.

New Zealand

James Mellsop at NERA is “exceptionally good” and “a standout competitor in the New Zealand market”.

Singapore

Elsa Chen of Allen & Gledhill is “definitely one of the top competition economists when thinking of competition law in Singapore”. She assists clients on an array of complex antitrust issues.

 

Latin America

 

Leading individuals

 

Brazil

Paulo Furquim de Azevedo at Insper Institute and Global Economics Group is saluted by peers for his excellent regulatory knowledge.

Ferres & Associados is home to Juan Pérez Ferres, “one of the most creative and insightful economists in Brazil”. He is praised as a “very smart economist” in a broad suite of competition-related matters.

Bernardo Gouthier Macedo of LCA Consultores is “very good for conducting negotiations with authorities”, say impressed sources.

Fabiana Tito at Tendências Consultoria Integrada is “knowledgeable in the use of quantitative methods” across competition policy and regulatory evaluations.

Chile

Juan-Pablo Montero of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is “the most important expert in Chile”, excelling in industrial organisation research.

Adolfo Ibáñez University Claudio Agostini comes recommended for his research on industrial organisation in antitrust cases.

Mexico

Pascual García Alba at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) is a standout expert with notable expertise on regulation and domestic competition issues.