Spotlight on... Dr Florence Thepot
Published: 12 April 2017
Dr Florence Thepot is a Lecturer in Competition and European Union Law. One of the newest members of the Faculty, she joined the School in 2015.
Dr Florence Thepot is a Lecturer in Competition and European Union Law. One of the newest members of the Faculty, she joined the School in 2015.
Dr Thepot originally completed her PhD on Competition Law at University College London. Prior to this she studied at Sciences-Po, Strasbourg (2008) and the College of Europe, Bruges (2009). In addition to her role as teaching fellow at UCL (2011-2015), during this time she undertook professional experience at Linklaters LLP (Competition Law/Antitrust Group, 2011-2012). Prior to commencing her doctorate, Florence also took part in a work placement at the European Commission (Directorate General for Internal Market and Services, 2009-2010).
She subsequently undertook a period of post-doctoral study at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich. Deciding she wanted to pursue a career in academia, Florence applied for the role of Competition Law Lecturer at the University of Glasgow. Although she had previously visited Scotland – where her enduring memory was of the cold weather – she had never been to Glasgow, and was pleasantly surprised by the city!
Her experience of teaching at the School has, to date, been overwhelmingly positive. She has been made to feel very welcome by both academic staff and administrators and is grateful for her students’ evident engagement with their studies.
Florence’s research focuses on the interaction between competition law and corporate governance (the topic of her PhD and forthcoming monograph from Cambridge University Press), as well as the digital economy and innovation. She benefits from membership of CREATe (RCUK Centre for Copyright and New Business Models in the Creative Economy), which is also housed in the School.
Her research in the latter area concerns music distribution platforms and how specific market characteristics affect the relative interests of consumer and supplier. The area of Competition Law is facing great changes in technology, posing questions such as how the law may need to adapt and whether we require new tools to assess these markets. Brexit also poses drastic implications for research in competition law, the enforcement of competition law in the face of the UK’s withdrawal from Europe, and the chief actors enforcing them (such as law firms, courts etc.)
Other projects include a collaboration with, and membership of, French thinktank ‘Droits et Croissance’ [Rules for growth’], where Dr Thepot leads their competition law team. She is currently also collaborating with academics in France and Germany, working on a database of boards of directors, as well as with economists at Strasbourg, on an inter-disciplinary paper. Her work is, by its nature, collaborative and she finds that this is a particular strength of the University of Glasgow.
Settling into Glasgow has also been a positive experience, which as a city offers all the benefits of a larger metropolis but in a more compact form. Being able to walk to work, with easy access to the countryside, a vibrant cultural life and friendly locals proves a winning combination!
Florence’s favourite part of the campus is the walk up the hill from the Dumbarton Road gates to Professor Square, especially on a sunny day when the spring flowers are in bloom. Every day on the job is different, whether lecturing to students, organising a study trip or taking part in a conference. Recent highlights have included student study trips to Strasbourg and Lyon, as well as a forthcoming Law and Society Association annual conference in Mexico City in June. ¡Buen viaje!
First published: 12 April 2017