Former DOJ Economist Dr. Ari Gerstle Joins Cornerstone Research

Cornerstone Research has welcomed Dr. Ari Gerstle to its team as a senior advisor and expert based in the Washington, DC, office. Dr. Gerstle, formerly the Assistant Chief of the Economic Regulatory Section in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, brings with him extensive experience from his 15-year tenure at the DOJ.

During his time at the Department of Justice, Dr. Gerstle served as a Staff Economist before being appointed as Assistant Chief in 2020. In this role, he oversaw a team of 45 Ph.D. economists, financial analysts, statisticians, and research assistants, managing over 80 matters, including merger, civil non-merger, and criminal investigations. Noteworthy cases involved litigation within the airline, food, and healthcare industries.

Expressing enthusiasm about joining Cornerstone Research, Dr. Gerstle mentioned, “In my merger work at the Department of Justice, I was always impressed with the work that the team at Cornerstone Research produced. I am thrilled to join the firm and look forward to applying my experience from the DOJ to address client challenges in the merger investigation process.”

Dr. Gerstle, with nearly two decades of experience at the DOJ, developed industry expertise in healthcare and insurance during his tenure. His work involved collaborating with large-scale medical claims and administrative data.

Dr. Joanna Tsai, cohead of Cornerstone Research’s mergers investigations practice in Washington, D.C., expressed delight at Dr. Gerstle joining the team, highlighting his esteemed leadership in the field. She believes his contribution will significantly enhance Cornerstone Research’s capabilities in handling a variety of merger cases.

Cornerstone Research CEO Rahul Guha added, “Ari’s management experience at the Antitrust Division, coupled with his involvement in some of the most significant merger litigation, will allow him to advise our clients on the issues that matter to them most during the merger investigations process. With experience in several industries, Ari’s expertise will further enhance our antitrust and competition practice and our firm’s capabilities in Washington, D.C.”

Dr. Gerstle holds a B.S. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University. His addition to Cornerstone Research is expected to contribute significantly to the firm’s thought leadership and consulting capabilities.