Law360 quoted Venable partner Len Gordon in an October 4, 2012 article on the implications of The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) recent hiring of a former U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) chief economist to work on its antitrust investigation of Google Inc. The economist, Richard Gilbert, is an emeritus professor of economics at University of California, Berkeley who worked for the DOJ's Antitrust Division in the early 1990s.
Offering his analysis of the FTC's move, Gordon said, "In matters that are likely to head to litigation or in litigation, for big cases, it's typical that they have at least one outside economist. They're either preparing for litigation or want Google to think they're preparing for litigation, or both." Gordon added that Gilbert is well qualified for the position, saying, "He's a good choice for a role like this, he has serious government credentials and he's well thought of. California Berkeley is one of the places you look for thought leaders on the intersections of antitrust and high-tech, so this makes sense as for who they hired."