Alden Abbott

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Senior Research Fellow
Alden Abbott is a Senior Research Fellow focusing on antitrust issues. Before joining Mercatus, Mr. Abbott served as the Federal Trade Commission’s General Counsel from 2018 to early 2021, where he represented the Commission in court and provided legal advice to its representatives. Prior to working at the FTC, Mr. Abbott worked at the Heritage Foundation and BlackBerry Ltd. He also served as an adjunct professor at Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School from 1991 to 2018. Mr. Abbott has a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an M.A. in economics from Georgetown University.
Latest Work
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Antitrust Applies to Unions as Well as to Employers | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Justice Department Introduces ‘America First Antitrust’ Policy | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The Federal Trade Commission’s Request for Information (RFI) on the Identification of Anticompetitive Regulations That Fall Within the Scope of Section 3(a) of the President’s April 9, 2025, Executive Order on Regulatory Barriers
Comment urges the FTC to cut anticompetitive regulations using OECD tools and new econometric models
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Trump Fisheries Order May Be a First Step Toward Global Reforms | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Trump Trade Talks Plus Deregulation Could Spur Faster Economic Growth | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
President Trump Takes Aim at Anticompetitive Regulatory Barriers | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Steel Mergers, Tariffs, and US Competitiveness | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Trump Tariffs in a Broader Policy Context | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Is Data Really a Barrier to Entry? Rethinking Competition Regulation in Generative AI
Fears of data scarcity and monopolization are unfounded and risk leading to overregulation.
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
DOJ Task Force Takes Aim at Anti Competitive Regulations | Forbes
Latest Work
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Antitrust Applies to Unions as Well as to Employers | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Justice Department Introduces ‘America First Antitrust’ Policy | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The Federal Trade Commission’s Request for Information (RFI) on the Identification of Anticompetitive Regulations That Fall Within the Scope of Section 3(a) of the President’s April 9, 2025, Executive Order on Regulatory Barriers
Comment urges the FTC to cut anticompetitive regulations using OECD tools and new econometric models
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Trump Fisheries Order May Be a First Step Toward Global Reforms | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Trump Trade Talks Plus Deregulation Could Spur Faster Economic Growth | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
President Trump Takes Aim at Anticompetitive Regulatory Barriers | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Steel Mergers, Tariffs, and US Competitiveness | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Trump Tariffs in a Broader Policy Context | Forbes
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Is Data Really a Barrier to Entry? Rethinking Competition Regulation in Generative AI
Fears of data scarcity and monopolization are unfounded and risk leading to overregulation.
- | Antitrust and Competition Antitrust and Competition
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary