Chillin'Competition

Official bio…

Pablo Ibáñez Colomo is Professor of Law and Jean Monnet Chair in Competition and Regulation at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is also a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges), Joint General Editor of the Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (Oxford University Press) and co-editor of the Chillin’ Competition Blog. He received a PhD from the European University Institute in June 2010 (Jacques Lassier Prize). Before joining the EUI as a Researcher in 2007, he taught for three years at the Law Department of the College of Europe (Bruges), where he also completed an LLM in 2004. He has been a Visiting Professor at several institutions around the world, including Aix-Marseille University, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Kobe University and Torcuato di Tella University.

…and non-official bio

I arrived in London in 2010. I haven’t lived in the same place for such a long time (I’m writing this in December 2014) since I left Madrid for Paris at the age of 20. This means both that I have some trouble standing still and that I love London, which suits me very well. I did not really want to study law, and I never imagined I would work at a British higher education institution (let alone a prestigious one), but I have always had a love for teaching and writing – the activities themselves, more than the substance, are what matter to me. I have always had a love for stories – both literature and cinema – and for travelling (which makes the above less surprising) too. Over the years, I have discovered a love for running, which, funnily enough, I took up when Alfonso had just started his LLM in Bruges (the very first time I saw him, he was actually running himself, but he sure doesn’t remember that one). I also try to develop an interest in red wine – yet another activity where I avoid comparing myself to the late Phillip Areeda.

My academic philosophy

I am privileged that I can devote my professional life to teaching and research activities. No privilege comes without obligations. I understand these obligations to mean, first, that I should be zealous of my independence. Second, that I should engage with the wider public.

I am always keen to share my views, provided that I do not receive remuneration. I get paid by the LSE (mainly), and then (a lot less) by the College of Europe, the European University Institute and the Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles in Madrid (i.e. Luis Ortiz Blanco’s legendary competition law course). And the Academy of European Law in Trier sent me three bottles of white wine from the region after my visit!

Since I sometimes get the question: I am not interested in consulting opportunities – same goes for writing expert reports/expert witnessing, and so on. As I explained on the blog a while ago, there is no point in contacting me to write paid-for papers.

I abide by ASCOLA’s declaration of ethics.