Fiona M. Scott Morton: Letting the Data Speak
30 June 2011
By Dr. Fei Deng
Fiona Scott Morton, a Professor of Economics at Yale School of Management, was recently appointed as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economic Analysis at the US Department of Justice (DOJ). In this article from The Antitrust Source, NERA Senior Consultant and Antitrust Source editor Dr. Fei Deng conducts a review of Scott Morton's publications to analyze Scott Morton's approach to antitrust issues. During her twenty years of teaching and conducting empirical research, Scott Morton has specialized in competitive strategies and dynamics. She has performed extensive research on the economics of the pharmaceutical industry, with two main areas of focus: the effect of government-sponsored insurance plans -- Medicaid and Medicare Part D -- on prices and competition in the pharmaceutical industry, and entry strategies of generic drug manufacturers and the resulting industry dynamics. In her review, Dr. Deng notes that Scott Morton's approach to antitrust issues has been empirically oriented with an emphasis on competitive strategies and dynamics, and that these features of her research may have been what led to the DOJ to appoint her to her present position. Dr. Deng believes that Scott Morton seems to be a good fit with the emphasis of the new Merger Guidelines on empirical evidence. Based on her published research, she can be expected to continue to let the data speak in her new role as an antitrust enforcer.
