Loren Smith is an executive Vice President of Compass Lexecon. Previously he was a Principal at the Brattle Group beginning in 2020. Prior to joining Brattle, Dr Smith was an Executive Vice President at an international economics consulting firm, and prior to that worked at the US Federal Trade Commission as a staff economist. Dr Smith specializes in applying economic and econometric tools to antitrust and competition matters, with a focus on horizontal and vertical mergers. Dr Smith has been the lead economic expert for both government agencies and private parties in regulatory investigations, federal merger challenges, and private litigations in numerous industries in the US and internationally. These industries include retail, healthcare, lodging, medical devices, and various consumer products and intermediate goods. He frequently advises clients on single-firm conduct investigations and litigations related to pay-for-delay, exclusionary conduct, and vertical restraints, including several healthcare litigations involving anti-steering contract provisions. While at the FTC, he oversaw several high-profile mergers and conduct investigations, supported litigations, and evaluated settlements. He also co-authored a report to Congress and provided technical assistance and training to competition agencies in South Africa, Brazil, and Hungary. Dr Smith has taught microeconomics and econometrics at the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University. His research is published in academic journals including the Journal of Applied Econometrics, Economic Inquiry, and Journal of Economics and Management Strategy. He graduated with a PhD from the University of Virginia in Economics.
2022 Awards
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The competitive implications of private label mergersAntitrust Law Journal, Matt Schmitt and Loren Smith, June 2021, Volume 83, Issue 3
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The other side of the coin: Complementarity in mergers of multiproduct firmsAntitrust Magazine Online (American Bar Association), Peter Herrick, Craig Minerva and Loren Smith, 1 October 2021
2021 Awards
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The use of econometrics in merger reviewsAmerican Bar Association’s Economics Committee Spring Newsletter, Loren Smith and Christopher Rybak, April 2020
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Understanding the econometric tools of antitrust – With no math!American Bar Association’s The Antitrust Source, Michael Cragg, Loren Smith and Charlie Gibbons, Spring 2021, Volume 35, Issue 2
Distinctions
Nominee, 2022 Antitrust Writing Awards: Academic, Economics
Nominee, 2022 Antitrust Writing Awards: Business, Mergers
Winner, 2021 Antitrust Writing Awards: Business, Economics

