Our Washington, DC-based US antitrust group has an extensive background in US antitrust enforcement. Its members have strong ties to US enforcement agencies and prior experience serving as counsel for and representing clients before the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The combined experience of our lawyers includes dozens of Second Request merger investigations, full phase civil conduct investigations and litigation of major antitrust cases in federal courts. We regularly advise on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, intellectual property licensing, and distribution and supply agreements. Additionally, our partners advise on related international trade issues that might arise in the connection with a national security review such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and embargoes and sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).

Merger investigations and notifications

We provide advice in regards to merger control regimes of major national competition authorities, including the US Department of Justice (DOJ), US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and those of the EU member states. We are regularly engaged as global coordinators of multijurisdictional merger proceedings and have particular experience in complex international cases involving detailed remedy negotiations. We have handled many US Second Request proceedings, as well as equivalent proceedings in other major jurisdictions. We regularly advise on court litigation arising from merger proceedings and also advise third parties, including complainants, in merger investigations.

Conduct investigations

We have advised clients in connection with substantial US antitrust investigations of a wide range of competitive conduct, including patent licensing restrictions, bundling and rebate programs, price signaling, information exchanges, marketing joint ventures, standard setting organizations, and alleged cartel activity.

Antitrust litigation

Our lawyers have substantial litigation experience, having handled civil and criminal antitrust cases in federal and state courts and in administrative proceedings. Our US antitrust lawyers have recently served as lead counsel in a variety of litigated matters brought by the federal antitrust agencies and also have extensive private antitrust litigation experience.

Antitrust compliance programs

Our lawyers are currently active in designing, developing, and presenting antitrust compliance programs and advising companies on US antitrust developments. We have organized and operated antitrust compliance programs for Continental Airlines, Dell Computer Corporation, HEB Supermarkets, Sun Microsystems, and other large and mid-cap US and foreign companies.

Our US antitrust partners work closely with Freshfields' competition partners in Europe, enabling the firm to provide high quality support to clients dealing with multijurisdictional competition issues. In particular, we have substantial experience coordinating multinational merger notification filings on major transactions. The combined strength of our US and European competition team gives us a strong platform from which we can respond to the increasing internationalization of antitrust enforcement and better meet our clients' need for multijurisdictional antitrust advice.

Careers

Information on our US careers

Related Practices

Antitrust, competition and trade

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