Speeches/Articles by

David Scheffman, Bureau of Economics

• Convergence in the Merger Analysis Between Different Governments
  In this discussion, which was published in ABA M&A Committee Newsletter, former Bureau of Economics Director David T. Scheffman and current Deputy Director Mary Coleman discuss what they see as a growing convergence in the enforcement policies of the European Community and United States competition agencies.
  
• BE Encourages Use of Best Practices for Data and Empirical Analyses
  Since the November 2002 release of a paper describing best practices for data, and economic and financial analyses in antitrust investigations, the BE has seen only limited use of these practices by parties to antitrust investigations. In a new article, Mary Coleman, Deputy Director for Antitrust, briefly outlines the best practices suggested by BE and then discusses why it is in the interests of the parties to FTC investigations to follow these practices.
  
• BE Presentations at the George Mason University Law Review Winter 2003 Antitrust Symposium
  At this recent symposium, BE Director David Scheffman gave a presentation titled, "20 Years of Raising Rivals' Costs: History, Assessment, and Future," and BE Deputy Director for Antitrust, Mary Coleman gave a presentation titled, "Empirical Analyses of Potential Coordinated Effects from a Merger."
  
• Cruise Investigation: Empirical Economic & Financial Analyses
  This presentation  [PDF 376K] highlights some of the analyses done by the Bureau of Economics staff on the Royal Caribbean/Princess/Carnival investigations.  For further information on these investigations see the Commission's statement and see the speech by BC Bureau Director Joe Simons.
  
• The FTC's Cruise Ships Mergers Investigation:
  This paper provides an overview of how economists at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) assess the potential competitive effects of mergers focusing on the analyses developed in connection with the FTC’s cruise ships merger investigation. The paper was originally published in the Review of Industrial Organization. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com. [PDF 299KB].
  
• Raising Rivals' Costs:
  This paper evaluates the contribution of the RRC literature to economics and to antitrust policy, and discusses how the literature has evolved, both on RRC (or "non-price" predation) and vertical mergers. The paper is based on a speech at the George Mason University antitrust symposium, and will be published in a future issue of the GMU Law Review. [PDF 78KB].
  
• Empirical Analyses of Competitive Effects of Merger:
  This paper discusses empirical analyses that can be used to assess the competitive effects of mergers, with a particular emphasis on empirically assessing coordinated interaction theories. The paper is based on a speech at the George Mason University antitrust symposium, and will be published in a future issue of the GMU Law Review. [PDF 756KB].

• FTC Bureau of Economics' Accomplishments Over the Past Two Years
  Presentation at the ABA Spring Antitrust Meetings in Washington, D.C., April 4, 2003. [PDF 90KB]
  
• Hot Topics in Economics: Using New Economic Arguments and Evidence in Antitrust Investigations and Litigation
  Presentation before The Conference Board 2003 Antitrust Conference, New York, NY, March 18, 2003 [PDF 72KB]
  
• Sources of Information and Evidence in Merger Investigations: An FTC Economist's View
  Remarks to a session on "The Use of Economics in EC Competition Law," delivered in Brussels, Belgium, January 2003. [PDF 132KB]
  
• Critical Loss Analyses
  Powerpoint presentation delivered to EU Merger Taskforce in Brussels, Belgium, January 2003. [PDF 248KB]
  
• FTC Perspectives on the Use of Econometric Analyses in Antitrust Cases
  This paper by Bureau Director David T. Scheffman and Deputy Director for Antitrust Mary T. Coleman discusses their perspectives on how to make econometric analyses more useful in antitrust investigations and litigation. The paper suggests best practices for developing econometric studies that will be useful to the FTC in its decision making, providing examples of the types of useful econometric analyses that are frequently conducted in FTC investigations.
  
• Current Economic Issues at the FTC, July 2002
  In this recent paper, Bureau Director David T. Scheffman and Deputy Director for Antitrust Mary T. Coleman have reviewed current economic issues at the FTC.
  
• Twentieth Anniversary of the 1982 Merger Guidelines
  Bureau Director David Scheffman and coauthors Malcolm Coate and Louis Silvia have written a paper to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1982 merger guidelines.  Also see other papers presented at the anniversary celebration at: http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/hmerger.htm
  
• Best Practices for Data, and Economics and Financial Analyses in Antitrust Investigations, April 2002
  This paper provides a description of best practices for interaction between the Bureau of Economics and outside parties and their economic and financial consultants in antitrust investigations. The paper outlines procedures that BE encourages the parties to follow as well as what the parties can expect from BE staff. Also, check out the paper FTC Perspectives on the Use of Econometric Analyses in Antitrust Cases, which discusses best practices for developing econometric studies that will be useful to the FTC in its decision making, and the paper Demand System Estimation and its Application To Horizontal Merger Analysis (Working Paper #246), which discusses issues related to the econometric analysis of scanner data.
  
• ABA Interview with David Scheffman, the FTC's Director of the Bureau of Economics
  Dr. David Scheffman returned to the FTC in 2001 to take on the post of Director of the Bureau of Economics. In this interview granted to the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association on September 26, 2001, and moderated by Philip Nelson, Dr. Scheffman discusses his views on the role and future of economic analysis in antitrust enforcement, and more.