Vice President,
New York
Securities and Finance Practice
PhD in Economics,
MIT
The NERA environment in ten words or less:
Collegial, academic atmosphere where we solve business and litigation problems.
On why I chose economic consulting at NERA over academia:
When thinking about my career, I decided I wanted to be able to use my applied economics knowledge in a dynamic business environment. NERA has an excellent reputation for producing high-quality, rigorous economic analyses, across a diverse set of practice areas. Last but certainly not least, I like the collegial atmosphere that exists here.
On what makes NERA different from other firms:
There are two distinct characteristics that make NERA stand out in the economic consulting industry. First, the firm is built on a mentoring model, where new consultants are matched with senior economists to develop project management, analytical, and business generation skills. Second, most of NERA’s senior economists and testifying experts work full-time for the firm. This in-house expertise makes for a dynamic learning and problem-solving culture.
On an interesting case:
For a case related to a potential acquisition, we were asked to estimate the potential tort liabilities associated with property damage allegedly caused by a faulty construction product. The target firm had manufactured the product in question (which had been the cause of prior litigation), and the acquiring firm was concerned about the ultimate potential size of the product liability claims. With limited time and data, we built a forecast model to project future tort liabilities. This information was critical to our client in the merger negotiations.
On a typical week:
Actually, there is no typical week; I may be working on one large project, or have several smaller cases going on at the same time. For any particular project, there is likely to be an initial group meeting to discuss the case and design the analytical approach. Then, I’ll break out tasks for our analysts, from data collection and analysis to document review. As we move through the process, we will meet, discuss the findings, and determine the next steps.
It’s interesting work, where we get to use the rigorous tools of academic economics and apply them to a wide variety of real-world business and litigation problems. On top of that, our clients really value the solutions we provide, which makes our work rewarding.
What I admire most about my colleagues:
The economists here are both smart and curious. When a question about finance or economic theory comes up as part of project work, we often put the question to the practice as a whole. More often than not, these questions lead to lively discussions and debates, with economists from all across the practice weighing in, and great ideas come back in response.
