Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider

Bradley Justus's practice focuses on antitrust law, including antitrust litigation, mergers, government investigations, and counseling. Bradley has represented clients in several of the most high-profile and complex antitrust litigations and deal reviews in recent memory. In addition to appearing in courts throughout the country, before the Department of Justice, and before the Federal Trade Commission, Bradley has represented major clients facing merger reviews by European, Brazilian, Chinese, Korean, Canadian, Mexican, and Japanese competition regulators. In just the past year, Bradley has been trusted to help lead the defense of Google and Tyson Foods in high-profile complex antitrust litigations. Bradley also recently negotiated Tyson's successful resolution of another sprawling, multidistrict litigation, and helped Momenta Pharmaceuticals resolve years of contentious litigation regarding its blockbuster generic blood thinner enoxaparin with a positive result following a trial loss before Axinn was retained. Bradley also maintains a significant practice securing antitrust clearance for major mergers. He was one of the key leaders responsible for obtaining clearance for Dow Chemical's merger with DuPont, one of the largest and most complex merger reviews ever, requiring approval in more than 20 jurisdictions. In January 2022, Bradley was short-listed for Global Competition Review Lawyer of the Year – Under 40, an award given to "a competition lawyer under the age of 40 whose superior technical skill, practical judgement and excellence in client service in 2021 demonstrates that they are among the very best in the field."

Craig Reiser

Craig Reiser represents clients whose reputations are on the line in complex, bet-the-company litigation, with a focus on defending global law firms facing malpractice and breach-of-duty claims and defending high-stakes antitrust class actions. Craig’s litigation experience spans federal and state courts across the country—at both the trial and appellate level—as well as arbitral tribunals. He has defended malpractice and breach-of-duty claims against major international law firms, in numerous forums, with collective exposures in the billions. He is currently representing a global law firm in federal bankruptcy court, has represented numerous major law firms in connection with malpractice claims arising from various commercial transactions, and won a precedent-setting dismissal of a $7 billion putative class action brought against a global law firm by non-client investors. In addition, Craig serves as a member of Axinn’s professional responsibility committee.

Daniel Oakes

Daniel Oakes's practice focuses on criminal antitrust investigation, antitrust litigation, merger analysis, and antitrust counseling. Dan has represented domestic and foreign corporate clients in international cartel investigations before the DOJ, the Canadian Competition Bureau, and European Commission. He also has significant experience leading merger, civil non-merger and other internal investigations. Dan’s litigation experience spans defense of a range of Sherman Act Section 1 and Section 2 claims, including conspiracy, monopolization and attempted monopolization as well as related state competition claims. Dan also has significant experience in both class action and multidistrict litigation cases. In the merger context, Dan has worked on coordinating responses to several second requests and civil investigative demands by the FTC and DOJ. He has also represented multiple third parties in responding to government and party subpoenas and navigating the merger litigation. Additionally, Dan has counseled many clients on a wide range of issues including analysis of potential mergers, transactions, business practices and antitrust compliance covering a wide range of industries including technology, advertising, distribution, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, automobile parts, health care, insurance, and others.

Daniel Bitton

Trained in the EU and the US, Daniel Bitton navigates clients through antitrust litigation, government investigations and merger clearance processes across the globe. He is regular antitrust counsel to various corporate clients, ranging from major Fortune 500 companies, such as Google, McKesson and Stanley Black & Decker, to private equity funds and startups or early-growth companies. Daniel’s recent matters include representing Google in litigation and investigations of its advertising business in the US and other jurisdictions; McKesson subsidiary RelayHealth in antitrust class actions and a related FTC investigation and litigation regarding Surescripts; Stanley Black & Decker in its acquisition of MTD Products and Excel Industries; Danfoss Group in cartel litigation; Johnson Controls in its US$2 billion sale of Scott Safety to 3M; McKesson in various M&A transactions, including its US$3.4 billion technology joint venture with Change Healthcare and its US$1.4 billion acquisition of CoverMyMeds; Dell in its US$67 billion acquisition of EMC; Thermo Fisher Scientific in its US$13.6 billion acquisition of Life Technologies; and Google in its US$2.35 billion sale of Motorola Home to ARRIS, and its US$700 million acquisition of ITA Software. Daniel’s thought leadership on antitrust includes GCR’s “United States: E-Commerce and Big Data Merger Control.”

Denise Plunkett

Denise Plunkett is a trial lawyer with more than 25 years of experience handling an impressive array of high-profile antitrust cases and other high-stakes commercial disputes. Denise has served as lead trial counsel in well over a dozen jury trials of varying types. Her diverse litigation and counseling practice includes trials and appearances in numerous federal and state courts, international and AAA arbitrations, advocacy before the FTC Bureau of Competition, and appellate and other post-judgment representations. Denise has significant experience and longstanding relationships with leading companies in the payments, financial services, and pharmaceutical industries. She is a trusted advisor to her clients, aggressively representing them in litigation, providing antitrust and regulatory guidance, and helping them to navigate issues related to legal and conduct risk.

James Attridge

James Attridge, a former Antitrust Division Chief of Staff, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, and federal prosecutor, counsels clients in cartel investigations, antitrust litigation, and complex merger reviews. Having most recently acted as the Antitrust Division’s Chief of Staff during the Biden Administration and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division across multiple administrations, Jimmy draws on first-hand government experience to provide a strategic and comprehensive perspective on a wide range of government investigations and litigation. His unique background in government and private practice has given Jimmy the insight and extensive experience needed to advise clients on antitrust compliance, cartel investigations and defense, and follow-on civil litigation. He also counsels those interacting with the Antitrust Division in the range of areas where the Division has committed to heightened enforcement, such as merger reviews and civil conduct investigations. During his time at the Department of Justice, Jimmy served as a criminal prosecutor and in a variety of leadership roles at the Antitrust Division. As Chief of Staff, he was a key advisor on policy changes, investigations, and enforcement efforts. He managed a team of advisors, oversaw work product ranging from articles to speeches, and represented the Division with fellow antitrust enforcers and within the Department of Justice. As Counsel, Jimmy advised the Division’s senior leadership team on a record-high docket of criminal investigations and ongoing litigation, including scores of recommendations to open investigations, resolve investigations, grant leniency, and seek indictments. Jimmy also implemented policy changes to bring criminal charges for collusion in the labor markets, to incentivize and assess corporate compliance, and to create the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, an interagency effort to detect and prosecute cartels and fraud affecting government procurement. Prior to his government service, Jimmy practiced in the antitrust department of a large, global law firm. His practice focused on criminal investigations, civil litigation, civil investigations, and merger reviews. Following law school, he was a law clerk for the Honorable Liam O’Grady of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. During law school, Jimmy was a Charles H. March fellow and law clerk for Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

Jeny Maier

Jeny Maier serves as Axinn’s managing partner and has spent two decades advising Fortune 500 companies on complex antitrust aspects of high-profile, multibillion-dollar transactions. Recognized as a "Bright Rising Star" in antitrust law by The Legal 500 U.S. and a “Future Leader” in competition law by Who's Who Legal, Jeny is lauded by her peers and clients as a “seasoned antitrust lawyer who advises companies in high-profile merger cases.” In her practice, Jeny guides clients throughout the complete life cycle of transactions, from risk analysis and due diligence, to pre-merger notifications and merger agreement negotiations, through antitrust agency review, investigations, and remedies. Jeny leverages her background in economics to strategically assess commercial negotiations, regulatory risks and advocacy opportunities related to high-profile deals. She represents clients across industries, including the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, manufacturing, telecommunications, and transportation sectors. Her experience includes advising Sunrun – a major provider of residential solar, battery storage, and energy services – on its transformational $3.2 billion acquisition of Vivint Solar. In addition to her deal work, Jeny has considerable experience representing clients in civil and criminal antitrust investigations, and related class action litigation. She also advises clients on antitrust issues relating to pricing practices, distribution and marketing arrangements, intellectual property license agreements, and standard setting activities. As Axinn’s managing partner, Jeny leans on her strong business acumen to develop strategy and implement initiatives on behalf of the firm. Before joining Axinn’s Executive Committee in 2022, Jeny held various leadership positions within the firm’s antitrust group and previously served as the head of the firm’s Women’s Affinity Group. Also a leader in the wider legal community, Jeny is Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section’s Serial Podcast Committee.

John Harkrider

John Harkrider was named GCR’s Lawyer of the Year and Litigator of the Week by The American Lawyer in connection with the FTC’s investigation of Google. He currently represents Google in the Section 2 investigation before agencies throughout the world. He advised Dell in its US$67 billion acquisition of EMC; Ball in its US$6.85 billion acquisition of Rexam PLC; Thermo Fisher in its US$13.6 billion acquisition of Life Technologies and its US$12.5 billion tender offer of Qiagen; Google in its US$12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility and its US$700 million acquisition of ITA; Cingular in its US$41 billion acquisition of AT&T; and BellSouth in its US$67 billion acquisition by AT&T. He advised IMG in its merger with Learfield and MasterCard’s Board of Directors regarding their IPO to end the claimed structural conspiracy between the banks. John has represented Stanley Black & Decker, Tyson and United Technologies in Sherman Act litigation in district and circuit courts throughout the US. In government investigations, he advised Google regarding the FTC’s investigation of Standard Essential Patents, and Stanley Black & Decker regarding Made in USA Claims.

John Briggs

John Briggs, a former chair of the ABA’s Section of Antitrust Law, is one of the most accomplished competition lawyers of his generation. He has been antitrust and litigation counsel of choice for dozens of major companies in the US, Asia and Europe. He has handled substantial competition litigation matters as lead trial and appellate counsel for more than 50 Global 500 companies. In mergers, he has considerable trial and regulatory experience, having represented one or both merging parties in fully litigated successful merger cases against both the FTC and the DOJ, including on behalf of the Comptroller of the Currency. Currently, he is lead counsel for Independence Blue Cross in the largest class action antitrust case pending in the United States and Shintech Incorporated in two substantial consolidated class action antitrust lawsuits, having successfully established the court’s lack of jurisdiction over Shintech’s shareholder, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. He has also been engaged as an antitrust expert witness in proceedings in Australia, Canada, California, Switzerland, the UK, New York, Texas, and elsewhere. He founded the Brussels office of his prior law firm in 2001, growing it to more than 50 lawyers before his departure, and established the DC office of his current firm in January 2009, now some forty lawyers. He was an adjunct professor at The George Washington Law School for nine years until 2019, teaching a course in International Competition Law and he has written more than fifty published articles on competition law and policy.

Kail Jethmalani

Kail Jethmalani represents clients across industries in all areas of antitrust law, including high-stakes litigation, domestic and cross-border mergers, and investigations. Clients rely on Kail’s pragmatic approach to advancing cohesive defense strategies as coordinating counsel in multidistrict litigation. His recent litigation experience includes multiple treble-damage class actions and State Attorney General litigations alleging industrywide conspiracies to raise the prices of broiler chicken and pork, and to suppress compensation to broiler chicken farmers. Kail serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law’s Marketing Administrative Committee. His diverse pro bono practice includes helping immigrants obtain asylum in the U.S., representing a prison inmate in a civil rights case against government officials, and representing a class of restaurant workers to recover unpaid wages.

Kenina Lee

Kenina Lee litigates major class action and multi-district antitrust cases in federal courts throughout the United States. She also provides antitrust counseling and represents clients before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ). She has maintained an active pro bono practice and was recently recognized by the District of Columbia Courts 2019 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll. Kenina was also named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: “Ones to Watch” for Antitrust Litigation. Prior to joining Axinn, Kenina worked in both the Anticompetitive Practices and Mergers I division at the Federal Trade Commission as a legal extern and law clerk. At the FTC, she aided in merger investigations in the pharmaceutical and medical data-analytics industries.

Leslie Overton

Having previously served in senior positions at the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Leslie Overton offers her clients a valuable combination of experience and insight. Leslie guides companies through merger reviews, civil non-merger investigations, cartel investigations, and litigation involving federal, state, and foreign antitrust authorities. She also represents clients in matters concerning anticompetitive conduct and consolidation by competitors, suppliers, or customers. In her counseling practice, Leslie uses her skill and judgment to provide strategic advice and practical solutions on activities such as pricing, distribution, and licensing. She also customizes antitrust compliance programs to match her clients’ exposure and business realities. While serving as deputy assistant attorney general for civil enforcement during the Obama Administration, Leslie managed over half of the DOJ’s merger challenges in fiscal years 2012–2014, including litigation complaints, settlements, and transactions restructured or abandoned. Leslie also supervised litigation and civil non-merger investigations, as well as several criminal antitrust matters. Additionally, Leslie oversaw the Antitrust Division’s international engagement and health care policy work. During the Bush Administration, she served as counsel to the assistant attorney general, where she contributed to investigations, litigation, and the seminal health care hearings and report with the FTC.

Lisl Dunlop

Lisl Dunlop has 30 years of experience in antitrust and competition issues, including counseling, litigation, and transactions. Lisl guides clients through the antitrust-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other combinations, and sales and distribution matters. She also represents clients in antitrust investigations, and has represented major corporations in complex antitrust litigations. Lisl has significant experience advising leading U.S. and multinational companies in a broad range of industries, including the media, technology, and healthcare sectors. For her healthcare clients, Lisl provides antitrust and strategic advice in evaluating value-based payment initiatives, the establishment and operation of ACOs and independent physician networks, financial and clinical integration issues, and other transactions and collaborations. Lisl’s wide-ranging international experience includes appearing before U.S. federal and state antitrust enforcement agencies, the European Commission, and UK and Australian antitrust authorities. She has led clients through investigations by multiple competition agencies, and coordinated the multijurisdictional defense of transactions throughout the world. Lisl’s experience in competition matters in a broad range of jurisdictions brings added value to clients that conduct business internationally and interact with different legal systems and regulators.

Michael Keeley

Michael Keeley is a leading antitrust lawyer, with more than 25 years of experience. He has obtained antitrust clearance for large and complex strategic mergers and tried monopolization and patent jury cases. Mike has particular experience in defending litigated merger challenges, including the Antitrust Division's challenges to SunGard/Comdisco and the sale by Tyson Foods of a poultry processing complex to George's Foods. Mike's recent M&A work includes Take-Two’s US$12.7B acquisition of Zynga; Dell Technologies’ US$4 billion sale of Boomi to TPG and Francisco Partners; Tyler Technologies’ US$2.3 billion acquisition of NIC Inc.; Tyson Foods’ acquisition of American Proteins; Tyson Foods acquisition of Keystone Foods from Marfrig; Tyson Foods’ acquisition of Smart Chicken; Dell’s US$67 billion acquisition of EMC; Interactive Data Corporation’s US$5 billion acquisition by Intercontinental Exchange Inc.; Thermo Fisher Scientific's US$13.6 billion acquisition of Life Technologies and its US$12.5 billion tender offer of QIAGEN. Mike’s recent litigation matters include defending Thales Group in dual patent and ITC litigations; Momenta Pharmaceuticals in a series of antitrust cases involving patent enforcement; Alvogen in a patent infringement and antitrust litigation regarding Indivior’s opioid dependency treatment drug Suboxone® Film and in the Generic Drugs MDL.

Nicholas Gaglio

Nick Gaglio provides counsel on a full range of antitrust issues to clients in diverse industries ranging from recycled paper to food and beverage packaging, sports equipment to sports entertainment. Nick has helped clients obtain clearance for complex strategic mergers, including as global coordinating counsel in multijurisdictional transactions, and representing both owners and their portfolio companies on buy- and sell-side deals. He recently guided Easton Sports and its private equity ownership through Easton’s acquisition by Rawlings Sporting Goods, securing clearance without remedies in under 60 days. Nick represents clients in federal and state investigations, including defending foreign companies and their U.S. subsidiaries in criminal matters (including negotiating fine reduction) and follow-on class action multidistrict litigation. His team defending a Japanese manufacturer in the Auto Parts litigation was recognized for “creative, strategic and innovative litigation” with a GCR Litigation of the Year – Cartel Defence nomination. Nick’s broad antitrust litigation experience spans from conception through decision and has included strategic assessment and crafting of claims and defenses, tactical advocacy at critical pretrial stages, high-value settlement negotiation, and execution at trial. Nick counsels corporations on antitrust compliance, including labor-related issues (“no-poach”), joint ventures and collaborations, vertical distribution and e-commerce arrangements.

Rachel Adcox

Whether successfully leading clients through complex multidistrict litigation cases or negotiating criminal fine reductions in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Rachel Adcox is a standout amongst antitrust practitioners. In the last two years alone, Rachel was named a GCR “Women in Antitrust,” shortlisted for GCR’s “Lawyer of the Year” and “Litigator of the Year,” and named a National Law Journal “Litigation Trailblazer.” The scope and significance of Rachel’s work is the best illustration of the trust that major corporations place in her skill and judgment. As lead counsel for Tyson Foods in their Broilers, Growers, Pork, and Turkey matters, Rachel’s team has navigated hundreds of individual cases in both federal and state courts, while skillfully managing concurrent regulatory investigations. Rachel currently also leads the defense of Alvogen in the sprawling Generic Drugs MDL, the defense of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies in a treble-damages class action case alleging a group boycott, and the defense of RelayHealth (a wholly-owned subsidiary of McKesson) in class action litigation following an FTC investigation.

Tiffany Rider

Tiffany Rider has over 20 years of experience focusing on criminal antitrust cartel investigations; follow-on antitrust class action litigation; and complex mergers and acquisitions. She has defended companies and individuals in consequential international cartel cases, advocating before the Department of Justice and European Commission, among a number of other global enforcement agencies. Tiffany also has extensive experience as lead counsel in civil follow-on MDLs, civil litigation and arbitration. In her counseling and compliance practice, she designs and implements global competition compliance programs for clients in diverse industries, including technology, manufacturing, transportation and financial services. Additionally, Tiffany has extensive experience representing clients on significant mergers and acquisitions, including before both the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. Tiffany is a frequent speaker on panels on criminal antitrust and civil litigation issues. She has held several key ABA leadership roles, including on the International Cartel Task Force, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee, and the Diversity Plan Task Force. She served by invitation from the U.S. DOJ as a non-governmental advisor (NGA) for the International Competition Network (ICN) at the 2021 Annual Conference.

Legal 500

Our Team

FAQs

Marketing Resources

Newsletters

Contact us