Econic Partners Launches as Premier Economic Consulting Firm for Complex Antitrust, Regulatory, Litigation, and Policy Matters

Business Wire 19-Feb-2025 1:00 PM

Founded by world-renowned competition economists Goldman Sachs Alternatives and families of highly regarded competition economists Professors Robert Willig and Janusz Ordover provided financing

Econic Partners ("Econic") today announced its launch as a premier economic consulting firm, bringing together many of the world's foremost experts in competition economics. With a focus on complex economic issues related to antitrust litigation, mergers, commercial disputes, and other economic matters, Econic is positioned to set a new standard for expert analysis and rigorous, data-driven insights.

Econic's team comprises an unparalleled roster of esteemed economists who have shaped many of the most significant antitrust and competition cases in recent history and have held top academic, governmental, and consulting roles. They offer deep experience across industries such as consumer goods, healthcare, technology, transportation, telecommunications, energy, sports, and media. The team includes Dr. Lona Fowdur, Professor Richard Gilbert, Professor Michael Katz, Dr. Bryan Keating, Dr. Andres Lerner, Professor Nathan Miller, Professor Kevin Murphy*, Jonathan Orszag, Professor Daniel Rubinfeld, Dr. Loren Smith, Professor Robert Topel*, Dr. Nathan Wilson, and Professor Ali Yurukoglu.

"The Econic team is second to none, with both top antitrust experts and rising stars," said Professor Nathan Miller, a Founding Partner of Econic and the most recent Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division. "I am proud to help build a promising new organization that will shape the future of competition economics."

"We have assembled a dream team of talented economists with the goal to serve clients on the most important and largest matters, combining intellectual rigor with clear and effective work," said Jonathan Orszag, a Founding Partner of Econic. "We are all excited to work together to build Econic Partners for the long term."

Econic's day-to-day operations will be led by Catherine Barron, who brings extensive leadership experience and a proven track record in the economic consulting sector. Econic's Board of Managers will include Dennis Shaughnessy, the former Chairman of FTI Consulting (NYSE:FCN). Econic will establish offices in key financial and regulatory hubs, including Los Angeles, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

"The launch of Econic Partners marks a significant milestone in the economic consulting industry," said Catherine Barron, Managing Partner of Econic. "Many of us have worked together for decades, tackling some of the most complex competition challenges and sharing a strong spirit of collaboration and drive for excellence. We are excited to begin this journey to set a new standard in our industry and build a world-class firm."

Goldman Sachs Alternatives and the families of highly regarded competition economists Professors Robert Willig and Janusz Ordover, among a number of other investors, provided funding to facilitate the growth of Econic.

"We are excited to partner with Econic and its founders," said Beat Cabiallavetta, Global Head of Hybrid Capital at Goldman Sachs Alternatives. "Econic has attracted a world-class team and is well-positioned to capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead."

"We are thrilled to be an investor in Econic Partners," said the Willig family. "The firm is not only a continuation of Bobby Willig's legacy, but is also infused with the professional DNA of our beloved patriarch and professor as well as his decades-long friend and business partner Janusz Ordover."

Econic Partners received legal counsel from Baker McKenzie and Munger, Tolles & Olson.

About Econic Partners

Econic Partners is a leading economic consulting firm focused on complex antitrust, regulatory, litigation, and policy matters. It advises corporations, law firms, governments, and financial institutions, providing expert guidance grounded in intellectual excellence, experience, and effectiveness in legal and regulatory processes. Econic Partners launches with more than 100 experts and consultants serving its global client base from planned offices in Los Angeles, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Washington D.C. For more information, please visit www.econicpartners.com.

About Goldman Sachs Alternatives

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is one of the leading investors in alternatives globally, with over $500 billion in assets and more than 30 years of experience. The business invests in the full spectrum of alternatives including private equity, growth equity, private credit, real estate, infrastructure, hedge funds and sustainability. Clients access these solutions through direct strategies, customized partnerships, and open-architecture programs. The business is driven by a focus on partnership and shared success with its clients, seeking to deliver long-term investment performance drawing on its global network and deep expertise across industries and markets. The alternative investments platform is part of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which delivers investment and advisory services across public and private markets for the world's leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals. Goldman Sachs has over $3.1 trillion in assets under supervision globally as of December 31, 2024.

Biographies of Econic's Current Key Experts and Team (see https://www.econicpartners.com/people):

Founding Partners:

• Dr. Lona Fowdur. Leading competition, healthcare, and energy testifying expert economist.
• Dr. Bryan Keating. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Dr. Andres Lerner. Head of Econic's North American Antitrust and Competition Practice. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Professor Nathan Miller. Former Chief Economist at the U.S. DOJ Antitrust Division. Professor of Economics at Georgetown University.
• Professor Kevin Murphy*. George J. Stigler Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago. Winner of the John Bates Clark Medal, given to the most outstanding American economist under the age of 40 and a MacArthur Fellow. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Jonathan Orszag. Co-Founder of Compass Lexecon LLC. Former economic adviser to President William J. Clinton. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Dr. Loren Smith. Head of Econic's North American Antitrust and Competition Practice. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Dr. Nathan Wilson. Former Deputy Assistant Director at the FTC's Bureau of Economics.
• Professor Ali Yurukoglu. Jonathan B. Lovelace Professor of Economics at Stanford University.

Academic Affiliates:

• Professor Jonathan Baker. Former Chief Economist at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Professor Emeritus at American University. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Professor Chris Garmon. Former FTC staff economist and leading competition expert on healthcare matters. Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
• Professor Richard Gilbert. Former Chief Economist at the U.S. DOJ Antitrust Division. Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley.
• Professor Phil Haile. Ford Foundation Professor of Economics at Yale University.
• Professor Justin Johnson. Professor of Economics at Cornell University. Editor of the Journal of Industrial Economics.
• Professor Michael Katz. Former Chief Economist at the U.S. DOJ Antitrust Division and FCC. Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Professor Benjamin Klein. Professor Emeritus of Economics at UCLA. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Professor Dan Rubinfeld. Former Chief Economist at the U.S. DOJ Antitrust Division. Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Professor Robert Topel*. Isidore Brown and Gladys J. Brown Distinguished Service Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Chicago.
• Professor Glenn Woroch. Former Chief Economist at the FCC. Adjunct Professor Emeritus at University of California at Berkeley.

Other Key Experts and Team Members:

• Catherine Barron. Managing Partner of Econic with almost 30 years of experience in economic consulting.
• Emmett Dacey. More than 20 years of experience on large-scale competition matters.
• Dr. Yair Eilat. Former Chief Economist at the Israeli Antitrust Authority.
• Dr. Dan Gaynor. Former FTC staff economist with more than 20 years of competition economics experience.
• Georgi Giozov. Extensive experience with complex econometric analyses of damages and competition issues.
• Dr. Nauman Ilias. More than 20 years of experience in economic consulting.
• John Klick. Former Global Head of FTI Consulting's Economic Consulting segment and co-head of the Energy, Power, and Products industry group.
• Dr. Cagatay Koc. Former visiting scholar at the FTC. More than 20 years of experience in economic consulting.
• Gilad Levin. 25 years of experience in economic consulting specializing in antitrust, damages, and other economic matters.
• Ian MacSwain. More than 25 years of experience in economic consulting.
• Stephen Makowka. More than 30 years of experience in economic consulting, with a specialty in the energy industry.
• Dr. Aren Megerdichian. More than 15 years of experience in economic consulting. Former lecturer at University of California at San Diego.
• Dr. Maya Meidan. Almost 15 years of experience in economic consulting across a variety of industries with particular expertise in airlines.
• Dr. Daniel O'Brien. Former Deputy Chief Economist at the FTC and former Chief of the Economic Regulatory Section at the U.S. DOJ Antitrust Division. Ranked among the world's top competition economists by Lexology.
• Dr. Steve Peterson. More than 30 years of experience in economic consulting.
• Dr. Loren Poulsen. More than 25 years of experience in economic consulting.
• Michael Sabor. Chief Technologist of Econic and an expert at managing large-scale data projects.
• Dr. Jeremy Sandford. Former FTC economist and economic advisor to FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson, focused on advising clients on all aspects of the merger review process.
• Dr. Matt Schmitt. Leading expert in healthcare and competition economics. Former professor of business strategy at UCLA.
• Dr. Ka Hei Tse. More than a decade of experience in economic consulting and conducting complex economic analyses.
• Janin Wimer. More than 20 years of experience in economic consulting on large-scale competition matters.

*Joining no later than Summer 2025

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Zach Schwartz Executive Director, Marketing and Strategy Econic Partners LLC zschwartz@econicpartners.com 818.481.1404