Praised for its ‘efficient and creative counsel’, the team at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP guides clients through complex domestic and cross-border transactions in key industries including chemicals, financial services, pharma, telecoms and entertainment. The practice excels in domestic and international merger filings, DOJ and FTC investigations, including Second Request processes, and merger-related litigation. New York-based global co-chair Peter Guryan, described as ’extremely intelligent, responsive, respectful and practical‘, continues to be highly successful in merger mandates, notably representing L3Harris Technologies in its $4.7bn acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings. Sara Razi also co-chairs the antitrust team and is a key name for DOJ and FTC merger investigations as well as cross-border mandates, while Preston Miller has expertise in merger approvals and related investigations across a wide variety of industries. Karen Kazmerzak joined from Sidley Austin LLP in 2023, contributing significant experience of antitrust prosecution on the agency side. All lawyers mentioned are based in Washington DC, unless otherwise stated.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘STB is one of a few antitrust practices that are full service - they can handle any deal you throw at them and litigate it if necessary. Most firms say they can do this, but few can execute.'
'One standout characteristic of the STB practice is their commercial view. They are great at balancing creative realities with the requirements of the antitrust laws. They provide efficient and creative counsel.’
‘Max Fischer-Zernin is an uncommonly strong senior associate. I rely on him regularly.'
‘The Simpson Thacher antitrust team is fantastic. They are commercial, practical, experts, friendly and extremely deep. They have the ability to staff from equally strong New York and Washington offices, and they can cover all areas from merger control, to conduct matters to criminal investigations. I also appreciate the strength they have in the HSR role, with multiple experts covering the difficult rules prescribed under Hart-Scott-Rodino.’
'Peter Guryan - I cannot say enough good things about Peter. He is extremely intelligent, responsive, respectful and practical. He is a great team player, both among his colleagues and also with the other side of matters, thereby always looking for practical solutions rather than individual attribution.'
'Preston Miller is up and coming. I have heard multiple partners from other law firms regularly describe Preston in glowing terms. This is because he is an extremely capable antitrust lawyer who always looks for concise and practical solutions. Preston is also very hard working.'
'Richard Jamgochian is, hands down, one of the top HSR lawyers. Beyond HSR, he is able to oversee and coordinate large merger investigations. He is smart, precise and knows his stuff better than anyone.’
‘The Antitrust team at Simpson Thacher is a pleasure to work with. Smart, efficient, practical and very diligent.’

Key clients

Blackstone
Buckeye Partners, L.P.
Change Healthcare
CSL Limited
Ferro Corporation
Garda World Security Corporation
HCA Healthcare, Inc.
KKR
The NPD Group
U.S. Bancorp

Work highlights

Represented Change Healthcare in its $13.8 Billion acquisition by UnitedHealth Group, including representing Change Healthcare in the highly publicized merger trial in which UnitedHealth and Change were victorious over the Department of Justice.
Represented L3Harris Technologies, Inc. in its $4.7 billion acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc.
Represented KKR in its $1.6 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global.

Lawyers

Leading lawyers

Sara Razi

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Sara Razi is Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice. She is a leading antitrust attorney, focusing on merger reviews, government antitrust investigations, antitrust litigation, and counseling on a variety of competition issues. Sara regularly represents clients in antitrust investigations by the DOJ, FTC and States, and has secured successful outcomes in several complex and closely-watched mergers and high-profile antitrust litigations. Her extensive private-sector and government antitrust experience spans a multitude of industries including media, telecommunications, technology, supermarkets and other retail, oil and gas, consumer products, healthcare providers, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. Representative clients have included: Ahold N.V., Apax Funds, Best Buy, BMC Stock Holdings, BorgWarner Inc., Change Healthcare, CSL Ltd., Cypress Semiconductor, Dell Technologies, DIRECTV, Dollar General, EQT, HCA Healthcare, Hellman & Friedman and its portfolio companies, K2M, KKR and its portfolio companies, Lorillard, Mars, McKesson, PPD and Siltronic. Sara is an authority on antitrust issues and speaks frequently at conferences sponsored by the ABA, law schools, and private organizations. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee.

Peter Guryan

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Next Generation Partners