Antitrust & Competition

CMS released data in April 2022 on hospital mergers and consolidations since 2016, revealing a slowdown in ownership changes, a rise in larger, for-profit acquisitions, and increased health system penetration.

Whether the matter requires a careful econometric study of wage disparities or expert testimony on employment trends, Vega Economics delivers sophisticated labor economic analysis tailored to the demands of litigation and regulatory review.

Vega Economics recently supported two leading experts—Professor John M. Newman of University of Miami and Professor Arun Sundararajan of NYU—in preparing declarations submitted in support of Lead Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend their complaint in In re Adobe Inc. Sec. Litig.

From defining relevant markets to detecting supracompetitive pricing patterns, economists play a crucial role in helping courts understand whether algorithmic strategies enhance efficiency—or edge into unlawful territory.

Vega Economics was retained to support the expert economist in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. to analyze the impact of Meta’s conduct on plaintiffs, the market for books, and the harm to plaintiffs due to Meta’s unlicensed and infringing use of their works.

In 2024, we had the honor of collaborating with exceptional experts across diverse fields and were thrilled to welcome several new experts to our network. Explore our accomplishments from the past year in detail by reading our 2024 Year in Review brochure.

Our featured expert Jeff Prince is a Professor at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, specializes in industrial organization and applied econometrics, focusing on technology markets and telecommunications. He has provided expert testimony in intellectual property, antitrust, and damages cases. 

Our featured expert Prof. Ted Frech is a Professor of Economics and Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara, specializing in Industrial Organization, Health Economics, and Antitrust. His work spans academic research, policy consulting, and expert testimony, particularly in health care antitrust and regulation. 

This article explores the analytical tools that antitrust authorities and parties may employ several analytical tools to define the relevant market in hospital merger cases including: Hypothetical Monopolist Test (HMT), Critical Loss Analysis, Diversion Ratio, and the Elzinga-Hogarty Test.

Vega Economics was retained by Fedex in several cases in which it was sued for allegations involving federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

We look forward to seeing you at the Antitrust Spring Meeting at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC on April 10-12, 2024!

Vega Economics was retained by Cineplex to support Professor On Amir to provide expert opinions regarding certain allegations of deceptive marketing practices related to an online booking fee. 

We had the privilege of supporting numerous exceptional experts from diverse fields in 2023 and were delighted to welcome several new experts into our network. To delve into our achievements over the past year, you can find more details in our 2023 Year in Review brochure.

This insight explores some common challenges the FTC might raise in a pharmaceutical merger and how our economists can analyze relevant issues in such actions.

In two ITC investigations, Vega's expert examined the scope of the domestic semiconductor industry, assessed the significance and sustainability of related investments, and addressed public interest factors.

This article discusses the origins of PBMs, their business models, some reasons why they are blamed for rising drug prices, and how the industry is changing.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of AI pricing, economists can help untangle the complexities associated with algorithm-driven pricing strategies. Let's delve into the way economic analysis can address complex questions in both the business and litigation contexts.

Vega Economics was retained to analyze and opine on competition in the e-prescribing markets. Our expert examined how exclusionary contracts limited the choices of users on different sides of the network to utilize multiple service providers and the resulting adverse impact on market competition. Vega's expert also proposed a methodology to determine whether and to what extent class members were damaged due to the alleged anticompetitive conduct. 

Meet our featured expert, Dan Scheitrum! Dr. Scheitrum is an expert economist with an extensive background in litigation. He is an expert in agricultural economics and with a specialty in employment disputes, large data & statistics, and antitrust. 

Our featured expert, Dr. Dan Ingberman, is a leading economist who has significant testifying experience in both antitrust and intellectual property matters. He has over 30 years of experience teaching both law and economics at Washington University, UC Berkeley, and U Penn.

We had the opportunity to support several outstanding experts in 2022 from a variety of disciplines and welcomed several new experts to our network. You’ll learn more about our work last year in this brochure, our 2022 Year in Review.

The antitrust legal community has been buzzing about the legal battle between the PGA Tour and its players. The article by Dr. Tim Derdenger from Carnegie Mellon University and Alison Palo from Vega Economics, published by Law360, discusses the issues contributing to that legal battle, including the economic factors that will play a role in evaluating the PGA Tour's actions.

Following the buzz in the antitrust community about the potential legal battles looming between the PGA and the LIV tour golfers, Vega is thrilled to gain insight on this hot topic from Dr. Tim Derdenger, Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. 

Our featured expert, Jon Riddle, PhD, has worked as a professional economist for over 30 years. Dr. Riddle has provided expert opinions on a wide range of engagements including antitrust, health care, the pharmaceutical industry, and valuation and damages. In a recent case, Vega recently supported Dr. Riddle's profitability analysis of an infusion center. 

Vega was retained by a group of major hedge funds as opt-out plaintiffs in several securities class actions to support Professor Lou Rossiter in analyzing issues related to pricing pressures and price fixing for certain drugs in the generic drug market.

Certain structural factors, when present in a given market, can facilitate anticompetitive behavior. In this article, we discuss ten factors that provide a useful starting point for contextualizing the competitive environment of a given market and providing a general framework within which to evaluate the specific data related to that market. 

This brochure highlights Vega's leading experts in antitrust litigation who can offer opinions on market definition and market power, market structure, pricing, profitability, and damages.

The regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals has evolved alongside this boom to facilitate the safe and affordable access to medicine as consumers increase their use of generics. This article reviews the historical development of the regulatory framework for generic pharmaceuticals in the U.S. and its economic impact, particularly in facilitating price competition.

Our featured expert, Dr. Thomas Lys is is an expert in areas including accounting, corporate finance, corporate governance, real estate, and finance. Dr. Lys was recently supported by Vega to rebut plaintiffs’ damages calculations in seven cases brought against RMBS servicers and master servicers.

Our featured expert, Haim Kassa, is is an expert in the areas of investments and portfolio management and he is experienced in the design and testing of trading strategies using historical firm level data from the stock, bond, and option markets.

Our featured expert, Lou Rossiter, is an expert in health economics. He has served as an expert on numerous cases and most recently he has been retained with the support of the Vega team to provide an analysis of pricing pressure and price fixing in the generic drug market for certain drugs.

Vega discusses the threshold questions that will need to be answered in the antitrust analyses of the recent Facebook cases brought by the FTC and attorney general from numerous states.

The Vega team and experts provide analyses of the complete range of economic issues arising in antitrust litigation including market definition and market power, market structure, pricing, profitability, and damages. This publication highlights Vega's antitrust practice, explaining both our significant experience with antitrust engagements and some of the qualifications of our antitrust experts.