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Antitrust and Intellectual Property Scholar Randal C. Picker Dies

By  |  August 17, 2026
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Randal C. Picker, a respected University of Chicago law professor known for his influential work on antitrust, competition policy and intellectual property, died on August 15.

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    Picker joined the University of Chicago Law School faculty in 1989 and served for more than 35 years as a scholar, teacher and dedicated member of the university community. He held the title of James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law and had recently become the university’s vice provost for academic affairs.

    A three-time University of Chicago graduate, Picker earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree and a law degree. He later clerked for federal appeals court Judge Richard Posner and practiced at Sidley & Austin in Chicago.

    His scholarship addressed some of the most important questions at the intersection of antitrust law, technology, intellectual property, regulated industries and bankruptcy. He also shared his insights with Competition Policy International, where he published commentary on competition and technology policy.

    Picker was widely regarded as a generous colleague, an admired teacher and a thoughtful contributor to the antitrust community. His death is a significant loss to the University of Chicago and to the wider legal and competition-policy fields.