Brad Howells conducts economic and statistical analysis in complex antitrust and competition matters. Dr. Howells focuses on merger reviews and litigation, with experience that includes lead roles supporting clients and experts through multiple merger litigations and trials.
Merger reviews and litigation
Dr. Howells consults for both government agencies and merging parties, with extensive experience supporting economic experts in high-profile merger litigations and trials.
His work on behalf of government agencies includes leading roles in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) successful challenges of JetBlue/Spirit, American Airlines/JetBlue Airways Northeast Alliance, and Aetna/Humana. Dr. Howells led support for the DOJ’s economist in Sabre/Farelogix and Securus Technologies/Inmate Calling Solutions, and supported the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) economist in Wilhelmsen/Drew.
Dr. Howells’s experience working with merging parties includes leading the consulting support team for Canadian Pacific’s economic expert in Canadian Pacific/Kansas City Southern, and significant roles in First Advantage/Sterling Check, T-Mobile/Sprint, Sysco/US Foods, and USA v. Cabell Huntington Hospital Inc./St. Mary’s Medical Center Inc.
His industry experience includes airlines, distribution, healthcare, health insurance, high-tech manufacturing, railroads, and telecommunications.
Antitrust and competition litigation
Dr. Howells analyzes class certification, liability, and damages issues in a range of competition-related matters. He consults on issues involving alleged horizontal price fixing, vertical exclusionary practices, and attempted monopolization/monopsony.
Dr. Howells’s work in antitrust litigation spans many industries, including food and agriculture, healthcare, distribution, and consumer products.
Labor and employment
Dr. Howells has worked on high-profile labor matters involving class certification, discrimination, and employee/independent contractor status. His experience includes conducting class certification analysis in an employment discrimination litigation against a large national retailer in which the judge denied certification of the plaintiffs’ proposed class.
United States of America et al. v. JetBlue Airways Corporation and Spirit Airlines Inc.
- First Advantage/Sterling Check
- United States of America et al. v. JetBlue Airways Corporation and Spirit Airlines Inc.
- In the Matter of Securus Technologies Inc. and Inmate Calling Solutions LLC
- Canadian Pacific Railway/Kansas City Southern
- U.S. and Plaintiff States v. American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp.
- T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Approved
- Class Certification Analysis in Employment Discrimination Litigation
- USA v. Cabell Huntington Hospital Inc. and St. Mary’s Medical Center Inc.
- FTC v. Wilhelmsen et al.
- False Claims Act Suit Involving Title IV Program
- Proposed Merger of Aetna and Humana Enjoined