Renowned MIT Economist Dr. Richard Schmalensee Joins BRG’s Antitrust & Competition Policy Practice as Senior Advisor

BRG announced today the appointment of Dr. Richard “Dick” Schmalensee as a senior advisor to the firm’s Antitrust & Competition Policy practice. One of the world’s preeminent economists, Schmalensee is a leader in industrial organization economics and its application to managerial and public policy issues, with particular emphasis on antitrust and regulatory policies. He is also known for his pioneering scholarship on multisided platforms.

Schmalensee joins BRG’s world-leading antitrust and competition practice on the heels of high-profile appointments including renowned experts Dr. David S. Evans and Dr. Rosa M. Abrantes-Metz and the September appointment of distinguished antitrust economist Dr. David Sunding.

Schmalensee is the Dean, Emeritus, of the MIT Sloan School of Management, and Howard W. Johnson Professor of Management and Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at MIT. In addition to his experience at the highest levels of academia, Schmalensee has served in numerous public-sector roles. He was a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers during President George H.W. Bush’s administration and has consulted for the US Federal Trade Commission and  Department of Justice.

“Professor Schmalensee is one of the foremost academics in the application of economics to competition policy issues. The expertise he’ll bring to our team will be critical as we continue to build our capabilities in antitrust and competition policy,” said BRG Executive Chairman Dr. David Teece.

Evans, who is spearheading BRG’s growth in work related to the digital economy and platform markets, noted, “I’ve worked alongside Dick for years and am excited that he’s joining our efforts in serving clients and helping them navigate novel–and increasingly complex–disputes that arise as the digital transformation sweeps through the traditional economy.”

Commenting on his appointment, Schmalensee said, “It’s an exciting time to join BRG as the firm embarks on ambitious growth plans in the antitrust and competition policy space.”

A prolific writer and editor, Schmalensee is the author or coauthor of more than 120 articles and 11 books, including Matchmakers: The New Economics of Multisided Platforms (coauthored with Evans). That book won the 2017 Axiom award for best economics book and was featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist. Schmalensee co-edited volumes one and two of the Handbook of Industrial Organization.

Schmalensee has served in numerous leadership positions major corporations, research organizations, and nonprofits. He is a fellow of The Econometric Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the executive committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research and chairman emeritus of the board of directors of Resources for the Future. In addition, he was named the 2012 “Distinguished Fellow” of the Industrial Organization Society and served on the executive committee of the American Economic Association and as a director at the International Securities Exchange, among other corporations.