The Brattle Group

The Brattle Group
Name	The Brattle Group
Founded	1990
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Employees	~200
Industry	Consulting

The Brattle Group The Brattle Group is a consulting firm specializing in economic, financial, and regulatory analysis for litigation, arbitration, and public policy matters. Founded in 1990 in Boston, it serves clients in energy, finance, telecommunications, and competition disputes, providing expert testimony, quantitative modeling, and valuation analysis. Its work intersects with legal practice, regulatory agencies, and academic research at institutions such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Princeton University, and University of Chicago.

History

The firm was established by economists who trained at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley and who had ties to scholars at Yale University, Columbia University, and London School of Economics. Early engagements involved work for utilities before regulators like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and for antitrust matters heard in venues such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Over time the firm expanded to offices in cities with major legal centers including New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Brussels, and London. Brattle economists have published alongside faculty at University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Duke University, Cornell University, and University of Michigan and have testified in proceedings involving actors such as ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, AT&T, and Verizon Communications.

Services and Practice Areas

Brattle provides expert witness testimony, financial valuation, damage quantification, market design, and regulatory consulting. Its energy practice interacts with projects involving Department of Energy proceedings, electricity market rules developed by regional transmission organizations like PJM Interconnection, California Independent System Operator, and New York Independent System Operator; engagements touch stakeholders including Shell plc, BP, Chevron Corporation, NextEra Energy, and Siemens. In finance and securities, Brattle has provided analysis in cases implicating institutions such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock. Competition and antitrust matters have involved parties including Microsoft, Google, Apple Inc., Amazon (company), and Facebook (now Meta Platforms). The firm also advises on valuation matters relevant to transactions involving The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, Time Warner, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.

Notable Cases and Engagements

Brattle experts have testified in high-profile litigation and regulatory proceedings, including monopoly and merger reviews before authorities like the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission. Engagements have featured disputes involving mergers between conglomerates such as AT&T, Time Warner, Comcast, and Charter Communications; securities litigation involving firms such as Enron, WorldCom, and Lehman Brothers; and energy market litigation tied to events like the California electricity crisis and regulatory reforms following the Northeast Blackout of 2003. The firm has submitted analyses in arbitration matters under International Chamber of Commerce and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law frameworks and has supported litigation involving standards bodies and intellectual property contested by Qualcomm, Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei Technologies.

Organization and Leadership

The firm's leadership comprises senior economists and litigators with academic appointments or prior service at institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, and NYU School of Law. Partners and principals include alumni of Princeton University, Yale Law School, London School of Economics, and University of California, Los Angeles. Organizationally, Brattle maintains practice groups aligned with sectors represented by major corporations and regulators such as Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Utilities Commission of California, and Ofgem. Its board and advisory panels have featured former officials from agencies including the Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and central banks like the Federal Reserve System and the Bank of England.

Publications and Research

Brattle produces white papers, working papers, and expert reports drawing on methods from industrial organization, finance, and energy systems analysis. Scholars associated with the firm publish in outlets such as The Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Review, The Review of Economic Studies, and present findings at conferences hosted by organizations like the American Economic Association, National Bureau of Economic Research, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Research topics cover electricity market design involving PJM Interconnection and California Independent System Operator, valuation methods relevant to International Valuation Standards, and competition analysis in digital platforms linked to Google, Facebook (now Meta Platforms), and Amazon (company).

Criticism and Controversies

As with peer consultancies, Brattle has faced scrutiny over conflicts of interest, expert impartiality, and the use of complex models in legal proceedings. Critics from academic and policy circles such as commentators from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and analysts at think tanks like Brookings Institution and Cato Institute have debated the role of consulting firms in shaping litigation outcomes. Contested engagements have drawn attention in cases involving large corporations including ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, Shell plc, Microsoft, and Google, and have prompted discussion in forums like the American Bar Association and hearings before committees of the United States Senate.

Category:Consulting firms Category:Companies based in Boston, Massachusetts