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Cornerstone Research Bolsters Competition Team with Industry Veteran

By  |  June 10, 2025

Cornerstone Research has announced the addition of Gopal Das Varma as a vice president in its Washington, D.C. office, expanding the firm’s capabilities in antitrust, competition, and merger-related consulting. Per a statement from the firm, Dr. Das Varma will take a leadership position within the mergers practice and apply his background to a broad range of competition matters.

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    Dr. Das Varma brings with him a reputation in industrial organization economics and a career that includes roles within both the public and private sectors. According to a statement released by Cornerstone Research, he has previously served as an economist with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and held a position on the Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve. His academic credentials include a tenure-track appointment at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where he taught graduate-level courses in industrial organization and competitive strategy.

    Cornerstone Research noted that Dr. Das Varma has been retained as an expert witness by both federal agencies—including the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission—and private litigants. His casework includes high-profile mergers such as Bayer/Monsanto, American Airlines/US Airways, and Comcast’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner, among others.

    Per a statement from the firm, Dr. Das Varma’s addition further reinforces Cornerstone Research’s commitment to building a robust team of professionals with deep expertise in antitrust and regulatory matters. The firm emphasized that many of its team members, like Dr. Das Varma, have firsthand experience with government enforcement agencies.

    In addition to his consulting roles, Dr. Das Varma frequently contributes to academic discussions and professional forums on competition policy. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is a regular speaker at industry conferences focused on antitrust enforcement and economic policy.

    Source: Corner Stone