Mergers & Acquisitions
Economists at Brattle are experienced in all areas of global merger review. We are often asked to assess the antitrust risks associated with a transaction prior to its review by an antitrust or competition agency. When cases are filed, we assist the merging firms through the review process by using economic theory – along with empirical data and relevant industry information – to define markets, analyze competitive effects and entry, and assess efficiencies. For cases where a regulatory agency is likely to seek relief, Brattle evaluates remedies that would address the agency’s concerns. When cases are challenged, we provide litigation support and expert testimony.
We also have extensive experience assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the various analytical techniques used in merger analysis. These include the econometric analysis of consumer behavior using scanner data and consumer surveys, the analysis of “natural experiments” to define markets and assess competitive effects, and the use of oligopoly models, including simulations, to predict competitive effects. We have provided economic analyses in merger cases before the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, the European Commission, and the European Court of First Instance, as well as national competition authorities in Australia, Canada, Germany, Greater China, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
