Michael Topper is chair of the board of Cornerstone Research. Dr. Topper has more than twenty-five years of experience working with clients in antitrust merger review, complex business litigation, and regulatory proceedings. He has expertise in applying microeconomics, econometrics, statistics, and survey analyses in many market settings. Dr. Topper works with counsel to develop economic and financial testimony for leading academic and industry experts. He has served as an expert on several telecommunications and media matters.
Dr. Topper served for many years as the head and cohead of Cornerstone Research’s antitrust and competition practice. He is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a leading competition economist.
Antitrust merger reviews
Dr. Topper has consulted on antitrust issues in many high-profile mergers, including projects for merging parties, government enforcement agencies, and third parties. Representative matters include:
- U.S. v. AT&T/Time Warner
- Commercial Metals Company’s Acquisition of Certain Assets from Gerdau S.A.
- Big Tex Trailers/American Trailer Works
- General Electric’s Acquisition of Alstom’s Thermal Power, Renewable Power and Grid Businesses
- Comcast/Time Warner Cable
- Comcast/NBC Universal Joint Venture
- Google’s Purchase of ITA Software
- CoStar/LoopNet
- Google/AdMob
- Cingular/AT&T Wireless
Antitrust litigation and conduct investigations
Dr. Topper has addressed liability, damages, and class certification issues in numerous antitrust litigation matters, including:
- FTC v. Qualcomm
- In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation
- In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation
- Aguilar, et al. v. Atlantic Richfield Corporation et al.
- Lloyd Design Corp. v. Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc.
Dr. Topper has also worked for parties under investigation by competition authorities in the U.S. and internationally, including the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Federal Trade Commission, Japan Fair Trade Commission, Korea Fair Trade Commission, and Taiwan Fair Trade Commission.
Telecommunications and media regulatory proceedings
Dr. Topper has served as an expert and submitted testimony in Federal Communications Communication proceedings involving mergers and acquisitions, including Comcast/NBC Universal and Comcast/Time Warner Cable; mobile wireless competition; high-capacity transport services; and broadband Internet access. He has consulted in Copyright Royalty Board proceedings involving the distribution of cable royalty funds and royalty rate proceedings, and testified in a Copyright Royalty Board proceeding involving the distribution of cable royalty funds. Dr. Topper has also testified in the California Public Utility Commission Order Instituting Investigation into the State of Competition Among Telecommunications Providers in California.
Product misrepresentation, product liability, and consumer fraud matters
Dr. Topper has consulted on class certification and damages issues in matters involving allegations of product misrepresentation, product liability, and consumer fraud, including:
- In re: Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation
- In re: Toyota Motor Corp. Hybrid Brake Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation
- In re Whirlpool Corp. Front-Loading Washer Products Liability Litigation
- Beverage Product Advertising
Other litigation
Dr. Topper has worked on matters involving allegations of patent infringement, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, mortgage discrimination, breach of contract, and international trade violations.
Dr. Topper chairs the firm’s board of directors and also serves on the executive committee. Previously, he headed the firm’s Silicon Valley office. For ten years, he taught courses in economics and antitrust policy as a lecturer in the department of economics at Stanford University. Prior to joining Cornerstone Research, Dr. Topper was on the economics faculty of the College of William & Mary. Before receiving his doctorate in economics, he worked as an engineering economist at Bell Laboratories and Bell Communications Research.
Cynthia Zollinger Recognized as One of Silicon Valley’s Most Influential Women Leaders
Cornerstone Research Recognized in GCR 2021 Behavioural Matter of the Year – Americas
- United States et al. v. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated et al.
- California Public Utilities Commission Proceeding
- FTC v. Qualcomm
- In the Matter of Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
- Federal Communications Commission Proceedings
- Copyright Royalty Board Proceedings
- Big Tex Trailers and American Trailer Works Merger
- Commercial Metals Company’s Acquisition of Certain Assets from Gerdau S.A.
- Mortgage Discrimination Case against a Lending Institution
- United States v. AT&T Inc. et al.
- Alleged Unintended Acceleration and Brake Defects in Automobiles
- GE-Alstom Merger
- In re Whirlpool Corp. Front-Loading Washer Products Liability Litigation
- Comcast–NBC Universal Joint Venture
- Dencom Systems, Inc. v. Mitel, Inc., et al.
- In re NASDAQ Market-Makers Antitrust Litigation
- Level One Communications, Inc. v. SEEQ Technology, Inc.
- MCI v. AT&T
- Neon Systems, Inc. v. New Era of Networks, Inc.
- coolsavings.com v. e-centives
- Copyright Infringement of Design of Cellular Telephone Retail Stores
- Jensen Enterprises Inc. v. Oldcastle Precast, Inc., et al.
- InBev’s Acquisition of Anheuser-Busch
- Aguilar et al. v. Atlantic Richfield Corporation et al.
- Cingular–AT&T Wireless Merger
- Collins v. International Dairy Queen, Inc. and American Dairy Queen Corp.
- EchoStar–DirecTV Merger
- Customer Satisfaction and Effectiveness of Residential Building Products
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