Com­pe­ti­ti­on eco­no­mics

We help you to develop the best economic argument. With our economic and statistical expertise, we support you in antitrust and civil proceedings. Economics is essential for understanding the competitive dynamics in markets. We cooperate closely with you and your lawyers and provide economically and statistically substantiated analyses as well as strategic advice. We prepare risk analyses, provide you with second opinions and support you in negotiations with public authorities and courts. In our expert reports, we get straight to the point with decisive arguments written in a clear and understandable language.

Co­ope­ra­ti­ons and agree­ments

We support you with analysing the efficiency of agreements, by drafting contracts and analysing risks. We verify the industry logic of collaborations, determine where they have a positive effect on customers and where they could be detrimental to them. We support you in formal proceedings before competition authorities and courts.

Ab­u­se of a do­mi­nant po­si­ti­on

We determine the relevant market with the help of qualitative and quantitative methods from industrial organisation. We support you in answering official questionnaires and ensure that the answers are conclusive in economic terms. We analyse the data relevant to legal proceedings, perform econometric analyses and check the public authorities’ calculations and evaluations. We investigate the extent to which there may be signs of anti-competitive behaviour.

Claims for da­ma­ges

We use our statistical and econometric expertise to update the database relevant to you and determine financial losses and damages. We support you with your search for locations and evaluate risks. We are your partner during negotiations and support you before the courts.

Mer­gers

We support you with merger screening and point out possible concerns that could be voiced by competition authorities, from distortion of competition to disadvantaged companies in upstream and downstream markets. During the merger process, we support you with our expertise in industrial organisation and competition economics. Together with you, we process merger notifications, define the relevant market, evaluate market and efficiency effects and examine the effects of remedies. We are your experts for preparing, processing and analysing data.

Some of our projects

Future of high-speed broadband in Switzerland

Broadband, international comparison, data analysis, regulatory policies

Examination of the broadband offer and demand at regional and municipal level. Determining the coverage of the current and potential demand from companies and households. Analysis of regulatory solutions for providing services in individual areas without service.

Determination of price elasticity

Discrete choice experiment, postal products, competition procedure

Determining own- and cross-price elasticity of postal products on behalf of a provider of postal services. For use as part of an investigation by the competition authorities.

Expert report on planned merger

Merger, expert report, competition economy

Legal/economic competition analysis of the planned merger of Sunrise and Liberty Global.

Joint venture in the Swiss advertising market

Joint venture, governance, digital advertising market

Assessment of the planned joint venture between Swisscom, SRG and Ringier by order of the Swiss Media Association.

Swiss markets for technical data

Data economy, survey, competition economy, access regulation

Economic analysis of the way Swiss markets for technical data function, in consideration of the corporate landscape. By order of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

Price-regulated unbundling charges

Virtual unbundling, margin squeeze test, price regulation

Assessing the price regulation procedure used by Austria’s RTR (Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications) for virtual unbundling, as well as assessing the regulation measures and fee structure for different bandwidths.

Partial audit of the Cartel Act

Case comparison analysis, SIEC test, merger control

Legal/economic expert report on the influence of the SIEC test on the merger practices of the competition authorities. By order of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

Advertising in digital communication

Personalised advertising, conflict of interests, public service

Assessing whether the joint marketing of advertising content by Swisscom, Ringier and SRG does the Swiss economy and advertising industry more harm than good.

Competitive effect of radio/TV licence

Media policy, fee financing, market distortion

Using a qualitative and theoretical model to assess the degree of market distortion caused by the fee-financed SRG on other providers and forms of media.

Dr. Yves Schneider

+41 62 205 15 88

Partners

Prof. Dr. Klaus Gugler, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria - Prof. Dr. Mario Liebensteiner, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

Publications

Op­ti­ons for re­forming Swiss com­pe­ti­ti­on aut­ho­ri­ties

The Federal Council is having the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) examine options for institutional reforms of the Swiss competition authorities. Based on the recommendations of the legal expert commission «Reform Wettbewerbsbehörden», it has instructed the EAER to prepare a consultation process for a reform of the competition authorities by mid-2025. In view of the planned consultation process, the ‘Think Tank Fairer Wettbewerb’ has commissioned a study on the institutional reform of Swiss competition authorities from an economic perspective. On the one hand, the study sharpens the understanding of competition and distortion of competition from an economic perspective, and on the other hand, it examines Swiss competition authorities from a political economy perspective and identifies opportunities for improvement in organisation and procedures.

Le­gal and eco­no­mic opi­ni­on on the in­fluence of the SIEC test on the mer­ger prac­ti­ce of the com­pe­ti­ti­on aut­ho­ri­ties

We investigate proposed mergers that are contested from a competition-policy perspective in four industries (wholesalers and retailers, telecommunications and media sectors). We are interested to know the extent to which mergers in Switzerland would be assessed differently under the «Significant impediment to effective competition» test (SIEC Test) already implemented by the European Commission and by EU member states in general. In this regard, a Swiss case is compared with a corresponding merger case from the EU. However, due to case-specific market conditions, no direct transferability is possible. However, we are demonstrating that the SIEC test is particularly suitable for blocking mergers that are harmful to competition. The merger control could be harmonised with those in the EU. The WEKO would benefit more from the experiences of the EU competition authorities. Contradictory decisions could be avoided.  Publication (SECO)

Staat und Wett­be­werb – Aus­wir­kun­gen staat­lich be­herrsch­ter Un­ter­neh­men auf die Wett­be­werbs­märk­te

Oft stehen Marktaktivitäten öffentlicher Unternehmen nicht in Verbindung mit Grundversorgung oder kritischen Infrastrukturen. Die Kantone haben rund 800 Beteiligungen an rund 500 Unternehmen. Ein Überblick zu den Gemeinden fehlt. Im Auftrag des Staatssekretariats für Wirtschaft haben wir die Situation für den Energie- und den Verkehrssektor sowie für das Gesundheitswesen und die Finanzbranche untersucht. Der Vergleich zwischen normativ geforderter (z. B. OECD-Kriterien) und gelebter Praxis legt ein äusserst unbefriedigendes Bild offen. Hintergrund der Untersuchung war das Postulat 15.3880 «Konkurrenziert der Staat die Wirtschaft? Übersicht tut not».Link zur Studie

Angebote

En­er­gy sup­p­ly

He­alth­ca­re

Fi­nan­cial sec­tor

Me­dia and te­le­com­mu­ni­ca­ti­ons

Com­pe­ti­ti­on eco­no­mics

Re­gu­la­to­ry eco­no­mics and re­gu­la­to­ry im­pact ana­ly­sis

Eco­no­mic po­li­cy ana­ly­ses

Da­ta ana­ly­sis

Bench­mar­king / Ef­fi­ci­en­cy ana­ly­sis

Cos­ting and pri­cing

Pre­fe­rence me­a­su­re­ment / Dis­crete choice ex­pe­ri­ment