Mr Noah Brumfield > A&O Shearman > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

A&O Shearman offers a standout antitrust capability in the financial services sector, leveraging its transatlantic capabilities to advise domestic and international banks and financial institutions on high-stakes class actions concerning securities and financial trading markets, price-fixing allegations, and monopolization claims. David Higbee, in Washington DC, co-heads the firm’s global antitrust offering and leverages his agency experience from the Antitrust Division to represent clients in agency-facing civil litigation matters, including defending clients before the FTC and the DOJ. Senior partner Adam Hakki represents leading banks in trading market class actions from the firm’s New York office; the duo jointly oversees the practice. Litigator Todd Stenerson represents both plaintiffs and defendants from the automotive, retail, and healthcare sectors in multidistrict litigations; Stenerson also handles investigations and arbitrations. In Dallas, Rachel Mossman Zieminski takes point on merger challenges in the aviation sector. Following the 2024 combination of Shearman and Allen & Overy LLP, the team now also includes Elaine Johnston, based in New York, who has a broad practice covering the full range of contentious and non-contentious antitrust issues across a range of industries; notably, Johnston recently represented Merz Pharmaceuticals in a class action concerning generic patent settlements. She works alongside the Washington DC-based Noah Brumfield, who takes point on antitrust matters in the chemicals, life sciences, and tech industries; the latter is a recent area of increased activity for the team. Another key member of the team is Todd Fishman, in New York, an experienced litigator with significant expertise in cross-border matters; Fishman is the key contact for clients in the financial services industry.

A&O Shearman continues to be a highly sought-after destination practice for business-critical mergers and M&A approvals, representing major global clients on highly scrutinized and contentious merger proceedings before the DOJ and FTC, as well as international regulatory authorities, leveraging the firm’s transatlantic offering to collaborate seamlessly with its European offices. The practice continues to be active on high-profile mandates, notably representing JetBlue in its $3.8bn takeover bid for Spirit Airlines. The team includes diverse merger and contentious antitrust experts that have deep agency experience, with practice head David Higbee, a former Chief of Staff at the Antitrust Division, noted for his ability to represent clients in varied industries. Elsewhere in the team, New York-based Jessica Delbaum regularly advises multinational clients before the FTC and DOJ, navigating the complexities of multijurisdictional antitrust defense for transactions, while Ben Gris specializes in antitrust investigations and litigation. Attorneys are based in Washington DC unless otherwise stated. Following the merger between Shearman & Sterling and Allen & Overy in May 2024, the team has expanded. Elaine Johnston is a go-to for business-critical and global mergers, while Noah Brumfield, based in Washington DC, stands out for his expertise in the tech industry, regularly representing clients in high-stakes deals and strategic disputes. Elsewhere in the team, Hugh Hollman, who splits his time between the Washington and Brussels office, is distinguished for his work on global merger reviews, while New York-based Puja Patel, promoted to partner in April 2024, plays a key role in Second Request investigations and merger-related litigation.