Award-Winning Global Antitrust Practice Group Joins Baker Botts L.L.P.

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The core of the award-winning global antitrust practice from Howrey LLP -- led by nine partners, including the co-chair of the practice group, and two former U.S. Assistant Attorney Generals -- joined Baker Botts L.L.P. today.

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The group making the move to the firm's Washington office includes Sean F.X. Boland, James F. Rill, John M. Taladay, William Bradford Reynolds and 28 other lawyers, as well as a group of economists, analysts and support staff. Additional lawyers and staff are expected to join the firm in the near future.

The antitrust team joining Baker Botts today represents many of the world's leading companies in mergers and acquisitions, complex civil antitrust litigation, international cartel matters and other investigations and proceedings by U.S. and international antitrust enforcement agencies. These lawyers represent clients in a wide range of industries, including life sciences, high-tech, telecommunications, media, oilfield services, mining, metals, mining equipment, paper, pipe, chemical, energy, grocery products, agricultural products and health care.

"This is a world-class group of antitrust lawyers with very sophisticated and diverse practices," said Baker Botts Managing Partner Walt Smith. "We are excited that they decided to make Baker Botts their home, and we plan to grow this practice both in the United States and Europe, and over time in other areas in which we operate, including Asia."    

Robb Voyles, chair of the firm's Litigation Department, said, "This entire group is recognized widely for its ability to deliver results for clients engaged in complex transactions and litigation. The experience and knowledge of competition and antitrust laws this group brings to our firm and our clients is incomparable."

Jamie Baker, Partner in Charge of Baker Botts' Washington office, said, "It was fairly clear early in our discussions that these lawyers would be a good fit with our firm. Not only do we share a similar approach to the practice of law, but we have many shared clients."

Boland joins Baker Botts as a partner. While at Howrey, he served as vice chair of the firm and co-chair of the largest private antitrust practice in the world. His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, intellectual property and transnational antitrust cases, including representing companies before U.S. and international enforcement agencies. He has guided numerous mergers and acquisitions, in a broad range of industries, through the federal and foreign antitrust review process.

"Baker Botts, with its global footprint and focus on the energy, technology, life sciences and litigation fronts, provides the best opportunity for this highly-talented group of lawyers to continue working on cutting-edge matters for clients around the world," Boland said.

Rill, one of America's foremost antitrust lawyers, comes to Baker Botts as senior counsel. He served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, as well as a chairman of the ABA's Antitrust Section.

Taladay joins Baker Botts as a partner. He is recognized internationally for his work on global competition policy matters before the OECD Competition Committee and as a Non-Governmental Advisor to the International Competition Network. His practice is focused on merger clearance and criminal cartel work particularly in the technology, media and manufacturing sectors.

Reynolds joins Baker Botts as senior counsel. He is one of America's leading antitrust litigators and has argued 19 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He has successfully litigated cases brought by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice challenging proposed mergers. Prior to entering private practice, Reynolds served as an Assistant Attorney General and held the position of Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States.

Other members of the practice group joining Baker Botts as partners include:

• William Henry has more than 25 years of experience in antitrust and trade regulation matters for clients in various industries including life sciences. His experience includes mergers, acquisitions, joint venture transactions, civil litigation and government investigations.
• Joseph Ostoyich has 20 years of experience handling a range of federal and state private antitrust cases at trial and appellate levels and in arbitration, including significant involvement in more than a dozen multi-district antitrust class action clusters and a number of major competitor lawsuits. He has also represented clients in U.S. and foreign merger and non-merger civil investigations and grand jury proceedings. He is a frequent writer and speaker on antitrust topics of issue to global companies.  
• James Kress represents clients in complex private antitrust and commercial litigation. He also counsels clients involved in government merger and non-merger civil antitrust investigations.
• Stephen Weissman represents clients in merger and non-merger antitrust investigations by the DOJ and FTC, as well as in antitrust and commercial litigation in courts throughout the U.S. He and his team have obtained regulatory clearance for numerous high-stakes transactions, including Whirlpool's 2006 acquisition of Maytag. He defeated the FTC in its litigation challenge to Arch Coal's acquisition of Triton. His practice extends to handling cartel investigations and class action defense. He has represented clients in antitrust investigations in Europe, Korea, Brazil, and South Africa.
• Paul Cuomo advises companies on all aspects of antitrust law, with an emphasis on U.S. and international merger reviews. He also represents clients in complex private antitrust and commercial litigation, including multi-district class action litigation proceedings. In recognition of his accomplishments, in 2008 Global Competition Review named him one of its "40 Under 40," a list of the world's leading antitrust lawyers under 40 years old, and in 2009 the National Law Journal/Legal Times identified him as a leading lawyer in the Washington D.C. area.
• Thomas D. Fina has represented companies for more than 20 years in mergers and acquisitions, grand jury investigations, antitrust audits and antitrust investigations. He has successfully guided hundreds of transactions through U.S. and international antitrust merger reviews. He designed and implemented antitrust compliance programs for companies in a wide range of industries. He has held a variety of leadership positions in the ABA Antitrust Section.
• Christopher J. MacAvoy focuses on mergers, antitrust counseling, litigation and government investigations. He advises clients on mergers and joint ventures, distribution practices, price discrimination and trade association activities. He has represented many prominent suppliers, distributors and retailers of grocery products.

Additional information about the litigation practice at Baker Botts is available here.

About Baker Botts L.L.P.

Baker Botts L.L.P., dating from 1840, is a leading international law firm with offices in Abu Dhabi, Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Dubai, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, Palo Alto, Riyadh and Washington. With approximately 700 lawyers, Baker Botts provides a full range of legal services to international, national and regional clients. For more information, please visit www.bakerbotts.com.

SOURCE Baker Botts L.L.P.