Top Antitrust Expert Dr. Loren Smith Rejoins Compass Lexecon

The Compass Lexecon team is excited to announce that one of the leading antitrust experts in the U.S., Dr. Loren Smith, has returned to the firm as an Executive Vice President in our Washington, DC office. Dr. Smith rejoins us from The Brattle Group, where he held the role of Practice Leader for Antitrust and Competition. Prior to joining The Brattle Group, Dr. Smith was an Executive Vice President at Compass Lexecon and an Economist at the Federal Trade Commission.

Dr. Smith’s return will add tremendous value to the firm and expand our range of antitrust experts. He specializes in antitrust and competition matters and has served as the lead expert for government agencies and private parties in the United States and abroad in regulatory investigations, federal merger challenges, and private litigations across various industries. He frequently advises on single-firm conduct investigations and litigations related to pay-for-delay, exclusionary conduct, and vertical restraints. 

Dr. Smith was recently selected as a top U.S. Competition Economist in the Lexology client choice awards. He also is recognized as a competition economics thought leader by Who’s Who Legal. His research has been published in several academic journals, including the Journal of Applied Econometrics, the Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, and Antitrust Law Journal.

Joining Dr. Smith from The Brattle Group are two senior staff members: Dr. Dan Gaynor, a former FTC economist with extensive experience in antitrust and competition matters, and Chris Rybak, who specializes in mergers and antitrust litigation issues and previously worked at Compass Lexecon.

Dr. Smith commented, “I look forward to continuing my growth as an economist and expert at Compass Lexecon, where I will collaborate with the firm’s deep bench of distinguished competition experts and top-notch support staff.”

Senior Managing Director and Global Executive Committee Member Jon Orszag added, “We are thrilled to welcome Loren back to Compass Lexecon. Loren is now one of the small handful of top antitrust economists in the United States. We are therefore excited that the breadth and depth of the Compass Lexecon team will allow him to grow his book of business even further, better servicing his existing and future clients. We are also excited that he will help lead our antitrust practice as we continue to grow, including by serving on the firm's Management Committee."