David Balto
Senior Fellow
David Balto is a Senior Fellow at American Progress focusing on competition policy, intellectual property law, and health care. He has over 20 years of experience as an antitrust attorney in the private sector, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission. He is nationally known for his expertise in competition policy in high-tech industries, semiconductors, health care, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, media, and financial services. He regularly provides advice on mergers, strategic alliances, and joint ventures.
From 1995 to 2001 he was the policy director of the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission and attorney advisor to Chairman Robert Pitofsky. In these leadership roles Mr. Balto was a senior advisor in developing competition policy and identifying key enforcement initiatives. He helped draft guidelines involving intellectual property, joint ventures, and health care. He played a key role in several litigated cases, including the challenges to the Staples/Office Depot and Heinz/Beechnut mergers, the Intel monopolization case, and the challenges to anticompetitive conduct by several pharmaceutical companies. He is the only person to twice win the FTC’s award for outstanding scholarship, and also won the FTC's award for distinguished service, the highest award given a staff attorney.
Mr. Balto has authored more than 60 articles about competition policy focusing on intellectual property, health care, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and mergers. He regularly testifies before Congress, state legislatures, the FTC, and DOJ. He has authored numerous amicus briefs for consumer groups in seminal antitrust cases.
Articles by David Balto
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Block This Music Monopoly,
October 30, 2009
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Unlocking Competition,
October 28, 2009
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Don’t Leave It to the States,
October 22, 2009
- Protecting Consumers and Promoting Health Insurance Competition, October 8, 2009
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Protecting Consumers and Promoting Health Insurance Competition,
October 8, 2009
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Why a Public Health Insurance Option Is Essential,
September 17, 2009
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Competition That Works: Why the Google Books Project Is Good for Consumers and Its Competitors,
September 17, 2009
- Competition that Works: Why the Google Books Project Is Good for Consumers and Competitors, September 10, 2009
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Competition that Works: Why the Google Books Project Is Good for Consumers and Competitors,
September 10, 2009
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The Earth is Not Flat: The Public Interest and the Google Book Search Settlement: A Reply to Grimmelmann ,
July 22, 2009
- The Effects of Regulatory Neglect on Health Care Consumers, July 16, 2009
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The Effects of Regulatory Neglect on Health Care Consumers,
July 16, 2009
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Booklovers Should Cheer Google’s Plan,
June 30, 2009
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Removing Obstacles to Generic Drug Competition,
June 23, 2009
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Restoring Trust in Antitrust Enforcement,
May 11, 2009
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Monopoly Building,
April 20, 2009
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Live Nation Ticketmaster Merger Is Too Good To Be True,
March 16, 2009
- A Progressive Agenda for Antitrust Enforcement at the Antitrust Division, March 10, 2009
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A Progressive Agenda for Antitrust Enforcement at the Antitrust Division,
March 10, 2009
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Processor Wars Speed into Court,
February 25, 2009
- The Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger: What Does It Mean for Consumers and the Future of the Concert Business?, February 24, 2009
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The Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger: What Does It Mean for Consumers and the Future of the Concert Business?,
February 24, 2009
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An Open Letter to the Next Federal Trade Commission Chairman,
February 23, 2009
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Bringing Back Antitrust Law,
February 16, 2009
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A Perfect Storm,
January 16, 2009
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What Bank Mergers Mean for Credit Cards,
December 16, 2008
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Merge Not: A Highmark-IBC merger would handcuff health-care reform,
December 10, 2008
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Reject Pennsylvania Insurance Merger,
November 26, 2008
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Reject Pa. insurance merger,
November 26, 2008
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Reviving Competition in Health Care Markets,
October 17, 2008
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A Progressive Vision for Antitrust Enforcement to Protect the Opportunities for Small Businesses and to Protect Consumers,
September 25, 2008
- Reject the Highmark/Blue Cross Merger, September 23, 2008
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Reject the Highmark/Blue Cross Merger,
September 23, 2008
- Overnight Mergers, September 9, 2008
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Signed, Sealed, Delivered?,
September 9, 2008
- The Right Prescription?, July 31, 2008
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Consumers Suffer as Health Insurers Consolidate,
July 31, 2008
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The Merging Meat Market,
May 7, 2008
