Crowell & Moring Adds Senior DOJ, FTC Attorneys to Antitrust Practice

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Crowell & Moring announced today the addition of two senior antitrust attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the firm's Antitrust and Competition Group. Rebecca Valentine joins Crowell as a partner in Washington, D.C. from the DOJ Antitrust Division's Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace (DIA) Section. Ryan Harsch will join the firm as a senior counsel in New York from the FTC's American Competition Enforcement Division and Northeast Regional Office. 

Valentine and Harsch will enhance Crowell's ability to advise clients on critical transactional, litigation, and counseling matters. Their recent enforcement agency experience will offer clients valuable first-hand strategic insight into merger reviews and investigations across an increasingly complex, unpredictable, and, at times, aggressive enforcement landscape.

"We're thrilled to bring more antitrust-focused government experience to Crowell, as companies face an increasingly complex merger review process that often involves layers of scrutiny at multiple levels of government spanning various regional jurisdictions," said Dan Sasse, partner and chair of Crowell's Antitrust and Competition Group. "Becky's substantial body of work opposite government contractors and heavy industrial companies at DOJ complements Ryan's FTC experience, as we prioritize expanding and modernizing our service offerings with well-rounded attorney experience tailored to clients' evolving needs."

"Becky and Ryan bring sophisticated enforcement experience that will be invaluable to government contractors navigating transactions, collaborations, and other business decisions under heightened antitrust scrutiny," said Addie Cliffe, partner and co-chair of Crowell's Government Contracts Group. "Becky's deep knowledge of the defense, aerospace, and industrial sectors, combined with Ryan's broad FTC perspective, will strengthen our ability to help clients anticipate risk, address complex regulatory questions, and pursue their business objectives."

During her decade at DOJ, Valentine reviewed major corporate mergers, developing antitrust frameworks to guide the agency's investigations from inception through deposition and routinely coordinating with international and state enforcers. While Valentine dealt most extensively with federal government contractors in the defense, industrials, and aerospace sector, her representative matters spanned across sectors, including health care and consumer packaged goods.

"Given my sector experience, joining Crowell—a firm that is home to premier government contracts and antitrust practices—is a perfect fit and a natural next step," Valentine said. "I've seen firsthand the challenges that companies have when they are operating in an uncertain antitrust landscape, and I look forward to helping clients think through tough consolidation, collaboration, and exemption questions that arise in this environment."

Harsch joined the FTC in 2015, where he handled the full merger investigation process, led complex non-merger investigations, and litigated merger challenges through trial and appeal as part of the Bureau of Competition. His practice focused on antitrust investigations and enforcement in industries spanning healthcare, technology platforms, and industrial and consumer products.

"I'm grateful to be joining a team with such a diverse array of government and private sector experience as part of Crowell's Antitrust and Competition Group," Harsch said. "I'm excited to integrate my FTC experience into the firm's deep breadth of multifaceted antitrust capabilities for companies in all sectors."

Additional growth in the Antitrust and Competition Group is expected in the coming weeks.

About Crowell & Moring

Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, and MENA. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex regulatory and policy, litigation, transactional, and intellectual property issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its comprehensive programs and initiatives to advance the professional and personal development of all members of the Crowell community.

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SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP