The law governing antitrust claims has evolved in to a vast and esoteric discipline in the United States. Large business entities are also on the receiving end of scrutiny in regard to compliance with the law against anti-competitive behavior. In most cases, antitrust investigations or litigations are a challenge and getting an expert legal attorney may go a long way in helping out. The following article details the top fifteen famous antitrust law firms which are spread across the USA, and which many business turn to for advice within this significant field.
What is Antitrust Law?
But it is useful to know the specifics of what antitrust law means before defining the serving leading firms. Competition Law also referred to as the antitrust law aims at protecting fair trade through controlling anti- competitive behavior that is prejudicial to consumers. They range from matters such as manipulation of price with an aim of regulating competition, r dominance by a certain company or group of companies such as in the case of mergers and acquisitions. There is dual federalism of antitrust regulation in the United States with the federal government and state governments.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Gibson Dunn has a very strong antitrust practice with over 1,300 attorneys practicing in the firm worldwide. Over 165 lawyers solely dedicate their practice area to competition counselling and compliance. The firm incorporates cartel matters, combination matters, mergers, and joint ventures for fortune 500 international organizations. They include cases in aviation, automotive, financial services, media, Pharmaceuticals, technology and manufacturing markets
Key Locations: Washington, D.C., The three cities to which the compilers of the ranking referred are New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Skadden Arps is one of the largest firms in the world, and it unquestionably earned its status as a premier antitrust firm. Its uses more than 1700 attorneys to offer all the necessary regulatory services for clients in areas of antitrust and competition, litigation and arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and distribution. Technology, health care, and banking organizations rely on their advice on how to avoid regulatory pitfalls.
Key Locations: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Washington D.C & Washington C.H.
Sullivan & Cromwell
Established in 1879, Sullivan & Cromwell has more than 875 lawyers who manage the today’s antitrust requirements of the leading banks, corporations and industry trade associations. They specialize work in civil lawsuits, merger scrutiny by government agencies, advising on joint ventures and distribution relationships. Clients range from automotive and technology companies right through to hedge funds and private equity firms within the US and Europe.
Key Locations: Los Angeles, New Your, Washington D.C.
WilmerHale
WilmerHale consistently receives acknowledgment as one of the most preferred legal advisors on antitrust matters. Over one thousand lawyers deal with competition issues concerning mergers and acquisitions, licenses of intellectual property, pricing policies, distribution arrangements and claims of unfair trade practices. It is always due to the depth of the bench that clients such as Amazon, Apple, and Home Depot can easily overcome various government policies and regulations.
Key Locations: Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles New york
Paul Weiss
Piggy backing on their class action experience Paul Weiss has done well for itself in antitrust enforcement starting from class action lawsuits to multi-billion dollar deals. The firm leads the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section and has been invited to Harvard and Columbia law schools. Paul Weiss tries cases in price fixing cases, defends firms charged with monopolization offenses and navigates large mergers through to closure across tech, health sciences, financial services, and consumer products industries.
Key Locations: New York, Washington, D.C.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Today, Simpson Thacher is considered one of the most successful antitrust practices in the world, formed more than 135 years ago. Some have worked in the federal and state government to bring that inside knowledge to help further their clients’ cases. They assist major private equity sponsors and hedge fund managers in the consolidation. Business and technology firms hire them to probe anticompetitive conduct and hammer out settlements for the media and biopharma industries.
Key Locations: Los Angeles, New York, California, Washington, D.C., Palo Alto
Shearman & Sterling
Global businesses turn to Shearman & Sterling for coordination of acquisitions and for advice against monopolization charges often filed in the United States but with implications for International businesses with operations in Europe and Asia. Many public and private organizations in their cartels and distribution partnerships are consulting with them. It also receives credit for having sound pro bono offering, something that Shearman has always liked to be associated with.
Key Locations: Austin, Boston, Brussels, LA, New Your, San Francisco, Washington DC
Dechert
Dechert has been keeping over 30 years’ experience in guiding clients including McDonalds and Visa on antitrust reviews of transactions, on unfair trade allegations and on global cartel conditions. The firm deals with both the proactive and reactive legal risks together with legal education for compliance to minimize the risks affecting clients. As for their lawyers, they worked in divisions of both the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Key Locations: Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Hartford, New York, Philadelphia, Princeton, San Francisco, Washington DC.
Baker Botts
Set in the Lone Star state since 1840s, Baker Botts employs 80 lawyers specifically handling antitrust from New York down to California at the moment. It acts on behalf of private parties in governance reviews of mergers and acquisitions of firms whose values exceed $25 billion. The following is sought by top technology, energy, and financial service institutions for advice on licensing, pricing policies, and competitor cooperation.
Key Locations: Austin, dallas, houston, new york, palo alto, san franciso, washington D.C.
Jones Day
Julie Walker Slepnikof Jones Day grew tremendously over the past 50 years to become an antitrust giant through several mega-mergers skillfully guided to approval. It provides services in criminal grand jury investigations, civil suits, and counsel on mergers in aviation, agricultural technology, banking, health care, media and telecommunication. Jones Day also tracks regulation for trades.
Key Locations: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, New York, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Silicon Valley, Washington DC.
Latham & Watkins
Using more than 500 attorneys across the world, Latham helps corporations in antitrust litigation, probes, mergers and compliance desk. The firm was involved in the merging activities of markets of technology, manufacture, transportation and natural gas with the total value of over $60 billion. Latham also defends industry giants such as Google, Microsoft, Oracle in cases where antitrust laws accuse the companies of being monopolistic.
Key Locations: Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles New Your San Diego Silicon Valley Washington D.C.
Sidley Austin
Sidley Austin uses more than 60 lawyers who specialize in the antitrust bar to cover mergers, fixes on prices and monopolization cases. This firm changed approval of mergers across aviation; agriculture; consumer goods; insurance and petroleum was influenced. It also advises trade organizations such as the Securities Industry Association on antitrust aspects of business practices. Competing parties interested in assessing the competitive effects tend to appreciate the firm’s economists.
Key Locations: Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Washington, D.C.
Crowell & Moring
Crowell & Moring has more than 40 years practicing its clients through the governmental antitrust investigation, private actions, and mergers and approvals. It collaborates with economists in supplying empirical, probabilistic information about markets that hospitals, insurers, retailers and technology entrepreneurs confront. Majority of relief and development non-profit organizations such as CARE and World Vision also get their pro bono services from these law firms.
Key Locations: Brussels, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, San Francisco, Washington state.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Morgan Lewis began in Philadelphia and currently supervises 300 attorneys globally over its antitrust practice. It engages in lending its services in legal proceedings, investigation, mergers and counseling in connection to emerging commerce, telecommunication, aviation and construction industries. They handle issues such as price as well as regulating, predatory as well as discriminatory pricing on behalf of industry associations and Fortune 100 companies.
Key Locations: Boston, Chicago, Houston, and LA, Miami, New York, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
Failure to uphold the antitrust laws attracts heavy civil and criminal repercussions for companies besides the long-term reputational costs. Corporations also need to follow the changes in regulations and prevent anti-competitive conduct themselves. For all the corporations, associations and the fund managers out there, here is how the showcased law firms offer critical depth of expertise around antitrust compliance, investigations and litigation. Clients can therefore develop growth strategies by benefiting from their knowledge of the case law history and their experience across jurisdictions.