Seminar – Conflicts of Interest, Ethical Rules and Competition

Professor Jan Bouckaert, University of Antwerp

Attorneys are conflicted when simultaneously representing the plaintiff and defendant. So are strategy consultants offering advice to competing firms. We show that such representational conflicts of interests give rise to negative network externalities in professional service markets, granting the firms market power. A strict professional standard for acting, for example, undivided loyalty, may strengthen negative network externalities and reduce competition even further. In contrast, strict standards for Chinese walls intensify competition. Representational conflicts of interest constrain firms’ incentives to merge, favouring an unconcentrated market, thereby indirectly reducing the frequency of conflicts of interest.

Speaker bio

Jan Bouckaert obtained his BA in Economics from the University of Leuven, an MA in Economics from Université Catholique de Louvain, and his PhD in Economics from Tilburg University. Jan started as a postdoc at the University of Mannheim, worked for two years in a major telecommunications company, and became Assistant Professor at Ghent University. In 2001 he moved to the University of Antwerp as a research professor where he is now a full professor. Jan has taught at the College of Europe in Bruges and is visiting professor at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (Université Libre de Bruxelles).

He publishes with co-authors from different universities in general oriented economics journals as well as in well-established journals in the field of industrial organisation. He contributes to the academic community by presenting his work at the major economics conferences, as an invited seminar speaker, acts as a PhD advisor and referees for top journals. His academic credentials have been noticed by governments and private companies. Jan regularly offers advice regarding competition policy and regulatory issues to governments and firms, and acts as an expert witness before courts.