E.CA Economics’ Post

Bullshit is what I often think about this kind of rankings & tombstone awards: survey method suspectable and success always team success, not personal. In this case it is different. Rainer Nitsche is a role model for generations of competition consultants, both in the past and for the future - thriving for intellectual excellence and a projects’ success, with a clear compass for robust and honest arguments, grounded in sound economics & facts, vs. lobbying and biased advocacy. Intellectual rigour, professional credibility and commercial success come hand-in-hand, that’s his simple message to our profession.    Rainer Nitsche is also one of the most energizing personalities I have ever met. Having worked together with him over the past 20 years, building a leading European competition economics consultancy together, I can testify that his enthusiasm and stamina was key in E.CA Economics’s success story. Thanks for the long-lasting collaboration and congratulations, Rainer Nitsche!

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the ** Future Thought Leaders Essay Competition...🏆** Meet the winners: 🥇 1st Place: Lucy Watkiss from Linklaters 🥈 2nd Place: Dr Sara Warner from Mills & Reeve 🥉 3rd Place: Erasmia Petousi from Linklaters These future thought leaders will be joining us at the upcoming ** THE COMPETITION NEXT GEN SUMMIT 2025 in DUBLIN **, where they will have the opportunity to connect with peers and industry experts, with our first-place winner participating in a panel discussion. We'd like to extend our thanks to all of the entrants for taking the time to contribute to the competition. An additional huge thanks to our amazing judging panel for dedicating their time to selecting the winners. As always, at TL4, we're all about providing opportunities to up-and-coming practitioners specialising in Competition Law. We strongly believe that the next generation of practitioners should be writing, speaking at and attending events in order to build their network and further their careers. With that being said, congratulations to our winners – we look forward to seeing you in Dublin! Visit the Next Gen Summit website here https://lnkd.in/e4rJerxv ThoughtLeaders4 Competition | TL4C #TL4Competition #antitrust #antitrustlaw #competitionlaw #collectiveaction #classaction #classactions #masstort #masstorts #litigationfunding #litigationfinance #litigation #tl4 #competitionlitigation #legalfinance #legalfunding Helen Berwick Paul Barford Chris Leese Danushka De Alwis Xander Edgal Maddi Briggs Owen Dilworth Maximus McCabe-Abel Ben Jobson Yelda Ismail

Here's a little video from last week, and a link to the FTIL Europe winners for 2024. I know it's a cliche, but it is dramatic how much the profession is changing. My intro article for the FT report talks about how the US law firms' expansion in Europe, and their exponential growth overall, is disrupting historical law firm hierarchies. For many law firm leaders, this is way more worrying than the impact of gen AI on their business models. I predict that over the next couple of years, we are really going to see the difference between those firms who have a strong, clearly articulated strategy and those who don't. Thanks as always to the generous insights from the law firm leaders I speak to every year who also inform the agenda for the FT/RSGI Global Summit, to name a few: Alan Mason, Hervé Ekué, Michael Davison, Paul Lewis, Shane Gleghorn, Sabine Comis at Dechert LLP, Duncan Weston, PhD, Stephen Kensell at Latham & Watkins, Neel Sachdev Thanks also to the FT team, Harriet Arnold and Robert Grange for so many things! & team RSGI! https://lnkd.in/dh89ZTZ9

“Jury service is an obligation, not an option.” A judge said this to a San Diego jury I helped select last year. I disagree with her message. Jury duty may be an obligation but courts should STOP framing it as such. Jury service is a privilege. It is power. It is American. Without a doubt the most frequent question I get asked when people find out about my work with juries is: “How do I get out of jury duty?” It’s a shame, but I can’t blame them. It’s no wonder our culture has a tainted misperception of jury duty when courts themselves patronize grown adults and perpetuate the perception that jury duty is a forced inconvenience. The message should be focused on the carrot, not the stick. After spending some time outside of the United States, I understand how lucky we are to even have the carrot in the first place. Other countries WISH they had a democratic jury system like ours. Just look at Japan or Argentina’s developing jury systems. Well, what is the carrot? That our voice matters. That we get to participate in a decision that affects our community. And I have empirical support for this. Some classmates and I conducted a study on jury duty satisfaction, and found that meaningful engagement drives satisfaction in jury service, and that as trust increases, so does satisfaction with the process. [PDF below] Instead of barking at people who report to jury duty that they have no option, courts could highlight the respect and power of jurors and tell them what I tell my friends: That is, we need the people in our communities to make the decisions in our community. It’s one of the few (if not only) times in your life where you may be the closest to influencing law in this country. Think twice before you willingly give up that power. I understand it is legally mandatory, but realistically, it is an option whether or not to serve. Smart people can easily find a way out of jury duty. But we need those smart people to be motivated to serve.

*** THIS IS A SPECIAL EVENT, SO DON'T MISS OUT! *** On 5 November (5pm)… Commercial Law Academy and Watson’s Daily kick off with the grand finale of their commercial awareness competition, which will see five finalists battle it out for the (metaphorical) commercial awareness crown and (literal) top prizes. Each finalist will deliver a 2-minute presentation to all attendees on a topical story that's relevant, prevalent and important, before receiving live feedback from Peter and Jake (this will benefit everyone in attendance who might one day need to deliver a similar presentation during an assessment centre!). There will then be a vote for the winner, and the results from this poll will combine with Jake and Peter's votes to give the winner. Jake and Peter will then provide their usual summary of the key current affairs and trends from October 2024, including insights from a business, marketand legal perspective. Register for free via:  https://lnkd.in/gKu9FnG2

With huge thanks to our speakers: Helen Fairhead, Andrew Leitch, Stephen Wisking and Grant Saggers for the thoughtful and considered debate on how best to deploy expert evidence. Another facet of competition litigation which poses challenges, to name but a few: addressing complexity and volume (are page caps really the answer?); expert independence and protecting them from client 'narratives'; hot-tubbing v cross examination; joint experts and court appointed experts ...

"Winning is not everything, but the journey of learning and growth is the true victory." We are extremely happy to share that our team comprising myself, Akshat Chauhan and SAKSHAM PATIYAR had the privilege of participating in the 5th Virtual Moot Court Competition, 2024, organized by Thomas George and Associates Hyderabad, marking a significant milestone in our journey towards legal excellence. While our journey led us to the quarter-finals, it is not the victory itself that we celebrate, but rather the invaluable lessons learned and the support that propelled us forward. I am humbled to share that SAKSHAM PATIYAR and I had the privilege of being ranked among the top 3 Best Speakers. This recognition is not just a testament to our individual efforts but also a reflection and determination of our entire team. We are immensely grateful for the guidance and support provided by Vikranta Barsay whose expertise and encouragement was instrumental in navigating the complexities of the competition. Your unwavering support helped us stay focused and inspired, and we deeply appreciate your invaluable contributions to our journey. While our journey in the Moot Court Competition may have come to an end, the experience has left an indelible mark on each member of our team. As we reflect on our journey, competitions are not merely about achieving the final outcome. They are about the countless hours of preparation, the sleepless nights spent brainstorming, and the unforgettable experiences that shape us into better individuals. Every argument presented, every counter-question addressed, and every ounce of effort invested becomes a stepping stone toward personal and professional growth. While winning may be the ultimate goal, the lessons learned along the way are the true treasures we carry forward. We look forward to leveraging the lessons learned from this experience as we continue to pursue excellence in our legal endeavors. Our journey may have had its challenges, but it is through adversity that we grow stronger and more resilient.

This year, the International Law in the XXI Century Award celebrated its 10th anniversary. We asked the winners of past years how the Award influenced their lives, what it inspired them to do, how it helped them, and what they would wish to future participants. Listen to what they have to say, and go ahead — prepare and submit your papers by 31 March 2025: https://lnkd.in/e3VSSdaE. #award #iclrcaward #internationallaw

Drafting arbitral awards can be challenging, especially when you're navigating it solo. The key to a well-crafted award is clarity and thoroughness—think of it as telling the story of your decision. Use the FLAC method (Facts, Law, Analysis, Conclusion) to structure your award logically and meet essential requirements like written format, signatures, and clear conclusions. Avoid common mistakes, like unresolved issues or unclear reasoning, to ensure enforceability. For a comprehensive guide on writing solid, enforceable awards, read more at: https://lnkd.in/gdNEH5ud

It was a pleasure to present at last week’s Private Client Global Elite Minds of The Future Conference. I met some fantastic people in a glorious setting and got to talk about my favourite subject - The Art of BD. I boiled this down to three things: Questioning Listening Follow-up Without these three things client relationships will be tricky to develop and easily lost. #lawfirmBD #privateclientlaw #lawfirms