Joseph Farrell

Educated at Oxford University, where he received his D.Phil. in 1981, Joseph Farrell joined the University of California, Berkeley in 1989 and became a full professor in 1991. He later became Professor of the Graduate School, and his research has focused on industrial organization, competition policy, antitrust, switching costs, network effects, and compatibility.

Beyond academia, he has held major policy roles in the U.S. government, including Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economics at the Department of Justice and Director of the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission. He is also a Fellow of the Econometric Society and has served as president of the Industrial Organization Society.

Farrell is widely known for bringing clear economic thinking to real-world questions about how markets work, especially in industries shaped by standards, innovation, and strategic behavior. His writing and teaching have made him an influential voice for readers interested in the intersection of economics, regulation, and public policy.