Hiring a Competition Economist for Digital Markets and Platform Antitrust: What to Expect

Digital markets raise specialized economic issues, including network effects, multi-sided pricing, and data-driven market power. This post outlines the practical steps and expectations when hiring a competition economist for platform or digital markets antitrust work.

Key issues unique to digital platform cases

Digital platform disputes often focus on:

• Market definition with two-sided or multi-sided markets, and user segmentation.
• Network effects and tipping dynamics.
• Role of data, personalization algorithms, and ecosystem lock-in.
• Nonprice harms such as reduced quality, innovation, or privacy.

An economist versed in these areas can translate platform mechanics into testable economic claims.

Data and technical prerequisites

Platform cases are data intensive. Early planning helps avoid discovery bottlenecks.

• Identify the necessary logs and metrics: DAUs, MAUs, engagement, click-through rates, monetization metrics.
• Secure access to cleaned, event-level datasets, or plan reproducible sampling strategies.
• Agree on required technical resources, such as econometric software and cloud computing for large-scale models.

Experts should advise on data requests and propose defensible approaches when proprietary limits apply.

Methods, timeline, and cost considerations

Common methods include structural estimation, difference-in-differences, natural experiments, and merger simulations designed for platform dynamics. Timelines depend on data access and complexity:

• Initial scoping and plausibility checks, 2 to 4 weeks.
• Full empirical analysis and draft report, 6 to 12 weeks for typical projects.
• Additional time for extended sensitivity analyses, depositions, or trial prep.

Costs vary by scope. Expect a broad range depending on seniority and data work, and plan for incremental fees if discovery uncovers more issues.

Deliverables and courtroom readiness

Deliverables should be clear, reproducible, and defensible:

• A written report explaining theory, data, methods, and conclusions.
• Reproducible code and appendices showing models and robustness checks.
• Visualizations and demonstratives that explain platform economics to nonexperts.
• Deposition prep and trial testimony readiness.

Selecting an economist with platform experience, strong empirical skills, and clear communication ability streamlines litigation and regulatory engagement. If you need a short list of vetted economists for a digital markets matter, we can prepare a tailored scoping memo and candidate questionnaire to help you move quickly.