The Archives

Everything written by Geoffrey A. Manne on law, economics, and more

Geoffrey A. Manne

Geoffrey A. Manne is the president and founder of the International Center for Law and Economics (ICLE), a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center based in Portland, Oregon. He is also a distinguished fellow at Northwestern University’s Center on Law, Business, and Economics.  Geoff earned his JD and AB degrees from the University of Chicago and is an expert in the economic analysis of law, focusing particularly on antitrust, consumer protection, telecom, intellectual property, and technology regulation.

Prior to founding ICLE, Manne was a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School where he taught law & economics, corporations, international economic regulation, and other courses. In 2006, he decamped from Lewis & Clark to work in Microsoft’s legal department, heading up a program on law & economics academic engagement. He subsequently founded ICLE in 2009.

Manne has also served as a Bigelow fellow and lecturer in law at the University of Chicago Law School and a faculty fellow at the University of Virginia School of Law. He practiced antitrust law and appellate litigation at Latham & Watkins, clerked for Hon. Morris S. Arnold on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and worked as a research assistant for Judge Richard Posner. He was also once (very briefly) employed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

In 2017, he was appointed by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to a two-year term on the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, and before that he was appointed by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to serve on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee.

Posts

ALEA happy hour

Geoffrey A. Manne Apr 30, 2006

Dear friends of TOTM: If you’re going to be attending the American Law and Economics Association annual meeting, or if you’ll be otherwise in the neighborhood (Berkeley, that is) on May 5 and 6, there are two must-attend events over the action-packed weekend. The first is the inaugural TOTM happy hour. Join us (Josh and ... ALEA happy hour

AntitrustCorporate GovernanceLaw & Economics

Manne & Williamson get results from the FTC and DOJ!

Geoffrey A. Manne Apr 19, 2006

My co-author, Marc Williamson, just alterted me to this section in the recently-published FTC/DOJ Merger Guidelines Commentary (.pdf): Industry Usage of the Word “Market� Is Not Controlling Relevant market definition is, in the antitrust context, a technical exercise involving analysis of customer substitution in response to price increases; the “markets� resulting from this definition process ... Manne & Williamson get results from the FTC and DOJ!

AntitrustDOJFTC

Leaving legal academia

Geoffrey A. Manne Apr 13, 2006

This post has two related aspects to it, a personal and a general. First the personal: Beginning this summer I will be working for Microsoft — for the time being, anyway, on leave from Lewis & Clark Law School. My official title will be Academic Relations Manager in the legal and government affairs department (the ... Leaving legal academia

Corporate GovernanceEducationIntellectual Property

Tenure and the Law Deans

Geoffrey A. Manne Apr 04, 2006

While we’re talking about the ABA . . . Brian Leiter asks whether the American Law Deans’ Association is opposed to tenure. The question is spurred by the ALDA’s comment (.doc) filed with the DOE on the ABA’s application for reaffirmation as a recognized accrediting body. Leiter cites to a blog post (which links to ... Tenure and the Law Deans

AntitrustDOJEducation

Come on Feel the Illinoise

Geoffrey A. Manne Apr 04, 2006

Has everyone noticed that Illinois has been quietly amassing one of the most interesting law & economics/corporations faculties in the country? This year they hired Andrew Morriss, Christine Hurt, Amitai Aviram and Bob Lawless. They’ve already got: Lee Fennell Tom Ginbsburg David Hyman Richard McAdams Richard Painter Larry Ribstein Tom Ulen Cynthia Williams and probably ... Come on Feel the Illinoise

EducationLaw & EconomicsLegal Profession & Scholarship

I look pretty young but I'm just backdated, yeah

Geoffrey A. Manne Mar 19, 2006

The WSJ this weekend has a long piece on the issue of stock option backdating, “The Perfect Payday.” Here’s the tagline: Some CEOs reap millions by landing stock options when they are most valuable. Luck–or something else? It’s an interesting article, much of which is devoted to debunking the assertion that backdating of options grants ... I look pretty young but I'm just backdated, yeah

Corporate GovernanceSecurities Regulation

More on universities

Geoffrey A. Manne Mar 16, 2006

My post on universities/Zittrain/Harvard generated an excellent comment from Mike Madison. Here is my comment to Mike’s post: I suppose at the end of the day and over a few glasses of scotch I would largely agree with your characterization of my position. I do believe that norms exist and can be beneficial, and that ... More on universities

Corporate GovernanceEducationNews & Social Media

Call for Papers: AALS Section on Securities Regulation

Geoffrey A. Manne Mar 07, 2006

AALS SECTION ON SECURITIES REGULATION CALL FOR PAPERS FOR JANUARY 2007 ANNUAL MEETING The AALS Section on Securities Regulation will hold its seventh meeting during the AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California from January 3-6, 2007. (The Section meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2007). The Executive Committee invites submissions of abstracts ... Call for Papers: AALS Section on Securities Regulation

Securities Regulation

On disclosure: Shame?

Geoffrey A. Manne Mar 06, 2006

Daniel Akst in the NYT has an interesting piece on executive compensation and disclosure (HT: Tyler Cowen). He calls for more shame — more reliance on norms to manage intractable agency problems: Although more disclosure and pay-for-performance requirements won’t dampen runaway C.E.O. compensation, both are useful for illustrating a larger lesson: that it’s naïve to ... On disclosure: Shame?

Corporate GovernanceEconomicsSecurities Regulation

Universities redux: The anti-market folks begin to crow

Geoffrey A. Manne Mar 04, 2006

Last week I made a few observations and asked a few questions about higher education in the wake of the Summers fiasco (which I dubbed l’Affair Étés, but apparently no one thought that was nearly as clever as I did). Over at Prawfsblawg, guest blogger Jonathan Zittrain takes NYT columnist John Tierney (for my money, ... Universities redux: The anti-market folks begin to crow

Corporate GovernanceEconomicsEducation

Hanno Kaiser's antitrust primer

Geoffrey A. Manne Feb 28, 2006

While we’re on the topic of antitrust, I thought I would take this opportunity to draw our readers’ attention to a nice series of posts over at Antitrust Review. Collectively these posts make up the beginnings of an excellent primer on antitrust economics, told in Hanno Kaiser’s inimitable manner. I don’t agree with all of ... Hanno Kaiser's antitrust primer

AntitrustMarket Definition

Good antitrust news from the Court

Geoffrey A. Manne Feb 28, 2006

To almost no one’s surprise, the Court ruled today (unanimously) in Texaco v Dagher that a pricing agreement between Shell and Texaco which was part of a lawful joint venure is not per se illegal under the Sherman Act. See this Reuter’s story here (HT: Bill). The key grafs: Justice Clarence Thomas concluded in the ... Good antitrust news from the Court

AntitrustSherman Antitrust ActSupreme Court