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Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law Practice Group Nominated in Two Categories for the 16th Annual Global Competition Review Awards

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The Global Competition Review (GCR) has named Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law practice group a finalist in two...

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The Global Competition Review (GCR) has named Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law practice group a finalist in two categories as part of its 16th Annual GCR Awards. The awards ceremony honors the world’s leading antitrust lawyers, economists, and enforcers, as well as the most significant cases from 2025.<h4>Litigation of the Year – Non-Cartel Prosecution</h4>MoFo’s Antitrust team was nominated for the Litigation of the Year – Non-Cartel Prosecution award for its work representing Avadel Pharmaceuticals in antitrust litigation against Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Avadel alleged that Jazz abused a restricted distribution drug system and improperly listed a related patent in the FDA’s Orange Book to maintain monopoly power and delay entry of an innovative new medicine. The case drew significant attention from regulators and the industry, including an amicus brief from the FTC summarizing the potential harms to competition associated with improper listings of patents in the Orange Book. With trial imminent, MoFo secured a global settlement, resolving all claims, delivering a USD 90 million payment and a perpetual worldwide license to relevant patents.The MoFo team representing Avadel included Washington, D.C., partner and co-chair of the firm’s Global Antitrust Law practice group Alex Okuliar, San Francisco partners Daralyn Durie and Eliot Adelson, Los Angeles associate Henry Huttinger, San Francisco of counsel Margaret Webb, New York associate Mika Fitzgerald, Washington, D.C., associate Tyler Phelps, and San Francisco associate Helen He.<h4>Behavioral Matter of the Year – Europe</h4>The team was also nominated for the Behavioral Matter of the Year – Europe award for its work representing Mazda, a leading automotive manufacturer, in the European Commission’s cartel investigation concerning end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). In its April 1, 2025, settlement decision—the largest cartel settlement to date—the Commission imposed total fines of approximately EUR 458 million on 15 car manufacturers and an industry association, addressing novel issues at the intersection of competition law and environmental policy. Despite the scale and complexity of the investigation, MoFo secured for Mazda a materially reduced fine, including a significant reduction obtained outside the leniency framework and a shorter infringement duration.The MoFo team representing Mazda was led by Brussels office managing partner and chair of the firm’s European Competition practice Alexander Israel, Brussels and Berlin partner Jan Lang, and Brussels associates Alexander Laute and Ella Edye.The winners will be announced at GCR’s 16th Annual Awards Ceremony on March 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSNBS5Fw7_WJ75i1MKkxk_LMxIFSd2P6V4YuKwutfFSoQicA/viewform" target="_blank">Learn more about the nominees and vote in this year’s GCR Awards.</a>

Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law Practice Group Nominated in Two Categories for the 16th Annual Global Competition Review Awards

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Alex Okuliar is Chair of Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law Practice Group. He served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Antitrust Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Justice during the first Trump Administration and, earlier in his career, as a trial attorney at DOJ and an advisor at the Federal Trade Commission. His practice includes merger reviews, litigation, and government investigations.“The ‘excellent’ Alex Okuliar has a broad practice taking in merger clearance, conduct investigations and antitrust litigation. He is particularly noted for his work on behalf of media and technology companies.” – Chambers USA, DC AntitrustAlex represents clients in lawsuits in federal and state courts around the United States. Described as “very smart” and “incredibly knowledgeable,” he has helped clients succeed in a wide range of cases, including class actions and private party disputes alleging price fixing, monopolization, group boycotts, market allocation, and tying. He and his team recently won Global Competition Review’s 2026 Litigation of the Year – Non-Cartel Prosecution for their representation of Avadel Pharmaceuticals in a monopolization case against another pharmaceutical company.He also regularly represents clients in merger and conduct investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, state Attorneys General, and foreign agencies, including the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority. He has guided clients through the complex global merger clearance process and litigated agency merger challenges through trial.Alex has notable federal agency senior leadership experience. He was appointed the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Enforcement in the DOJ Antitrust Division during the first Trump Administration and in that role oversaw more than 150 career staff, agency merger enforcement, and an industry-wide review of online platforms. He was also one of the principal architects and leaders of the agency’s landmark search monopolization case against Google (U.S. v. Google). Earlier in his career, Alex served as an attorney advisor to former FTC Commissioner Ohlhausen and a trial attorney in the Networks & Technology Enforcement Section of the Antitrust Division. Prior to his service as Deputy AAG, Alex was a partner at another international law firm.Alex is a thought leader and a frequent writer and speaker. He has edited or contributed to leading antitrust treatises and handbooks, including Antitrust Law Developments (7th edition), the Premerger Notification Practice Manual (3rd and 4th editions), and the Intellectual Property and Antitrust Handbook (2nd edition).Before law school, Alex co-founded and sold an online technology company.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><h5>Merger Review </h5>Alex has worked on nearly a thousand deals across many industry sectors over his roughly 25-year career. He has handled dozens of second requests and litigated merger cases through trial. Clients appreciate his in-depth knowledge of the federal agencies and the range and depth of his experience, particularly in technology markets. As one client noted in The Legal 500 U.S. Antitrust: Merger Control guide, “Alex Okuliar brings a deep knowledge of the law and economics of antitrust, and the ability to frame that knowledge within the unique circumstances of the digital economy.” Representative deals include:Agriculture, Food & Beverage<ul><li>AgroFresh Solutions in its acquisition of Pace International, a global provider of sustainable post-harvest solutions, equipment, and technical services, from Sumitomo Chemical.</li><li>Paine Schwartz Partners in multiple transactions in the agriculture technology and food space, including the recapitalization of Special New Fruit Licensing (SNFL), a table grape R&D company, as part of SNFL’s combination with IFG, and the investment by EQT into SNFL.</li><li>Sugar Foods Corporation in its sale to Pritzker Private Capital.</li></ul>Technology and Online Platforms<ul><li>Apigee, a cloud computing company, in its $625 million sale to Google.</li><li>AVG Technologies in its $1.3 billion sale to Avast Software, maker of antivirus and security software.</li><li>Cisco in multiple matters, including its $600 million acquisition of SD-WAN provider, Viptela.</li><li>Dupont Photomasks, a leading maker of semiconductor photomasks, in its roughly $650 million sale to Toppan Printing Co. Ltd., which closed after a Second Request investigation by the DOJ Antitrust Division.</li><li>Infineon Technologies AG in the sale of its HiRel DC-DC converter business to Micross Components, Inc.</li><li>Microsoft in many deals, including its $7.5 billion acquisition of GitHub, an AI-powered developer platform.</li><li>Molina Healthcare in the $231 million sale of its Medicaid management information systems business to DXC Technology.</li><li>Propel Media, an online advertising platform, in an FTC Second Request investigation and federal court and administration litigation related to its proposed acquisition by healthcare data company, IQVIA.</li><li>ShowingTime, a leading residential property technology company, in its $500 million sale to Zillow, which cleared successfully without conditions after a Second Request investigation by the FTC.</li><li>Uber in its multi-hundred-million-dollar investments in both Nuro, an American self-driving technology company and Lucid Group, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based technology company focused on creating the most advanced EVs in the world.</li><li>Unity Software Inc. in multiple transactions, including its all-stock $4.4 billion acquisition of app monetization platform and tool developer ironSource and the concurrent $1 billion PIPE investment by Silver Lake and Sequoia, and in response to the related $13.6 billion unsolicited acquisition proposal from AppLovin.</li></ul>Media, Entertainment & Telecommunications<ul><li>Hispanic Broadcasting Company in its $3 billion sale to Univision, which closed with a settlement after a year-long DOJ Second Request investigation.</li><li>Nexstar Media Group, one of the nation’s leading media companies and local television station owners, in achieving DOJ clearance of its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., an owner and operator of local television stations, and in subsequent litigation against several State AGs and a private party challenging the consummated deal.</li><li>Planet Labs, a satellite imagery and analytics company, in the acquisition of satellite company, Terra Bella Technologies, from Google.</li></ul>Energy, Infrastructure, and Industrials<ul><li>Axalta Coating Systems in its acquisition of U-POL Holdings Limited, a manufacturer of automotive repair and refinish products, for £428 million in cash (approximately US$590 million).</li><li>Advised Axalta Coating Systems on antitrust aspects of its approximately $285 million acquisition of The CoverFlexx Group, a provider of economy coatings for automotive refinish and aftermarket applications, from Transtar Holding Company.</li><li>Enterprise Products Partners in its $13 billion acquisition of GulfTerra, which closed with limited divestitures after an FTC Second Request investigation.</li><li>Enterprise Products Company (EPCO) and Dan L. Duncan in the FTC investigation related to EPCO and Duncan’s roughly $1.1 billion acquisition from Duke Energy of Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Company.</li><li>McGrath RentCorp. in its $400 million acquisition of Vesta Modular, a provider of temporary and permanent modular buildings, from Kinderhook Industries.</li><li>McGrath RentCorp. in its $200 million sale of Adler Tank Rentals to Ironclad Environmental Solutions.</li><li>McGrath RentCorp. in the FTC Second Request investigation of McGrath’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition by WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings.</li><li>Meade Pipeline Co. in the $1.37 billion sale of its natural gas pipeline system to NextEra Energy Partners.</li><li>Nova Chemicals in its joint venture to build a $1.7 billion ethylene cracker and a polyethylene plant in Texas with Borealis and Total.</li><li>A private equity fund in the FTC investigation of the fund’s acquisition of a large North American plastics distribution business.</li><li>Schlumberger in the creation of Sensia, a joint venture with Rockwell Automation to develop and provide digital, integrated automation solutions for the oil and gas industry.</li><li>Superior Plus Corp., a leading North American distributor of propane, compressed natural gas, renewable energy and related products and services, in the $325 million sale of its construction products distribution business to Foundation Building Materials, a US distributor of building materials backed by Lone Star Funds.</li><li>Superior Plus Corp. in its $900 million acquisition of NGL Energy’s retail propane distribution business.</li></ul>Life Sciences<ul><li>Bayer AG in its $600 million acquisition of biotech company, BlueRock Therapeutics.</li><li>Bayer AG, through Leaps by Bayer, in its $215 investment in Century Therapeutics.</li><li>Kindred Biosciences in its approximately $450 million sale to Elanco Animal Health.</li><li>Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in its roughly $250 million acquisition of ADHD-drug developer, Neurovance.</li></ul>While serving at the DOJ and FTC, Alex investigated or oversaw the review of hundreds of transactions, including the $180 billion merger of United Technologies and Raytheon, NASDAQ’s proposed $11 billion acquisition of NYSE Euronext, Deutsche Boerse’s proposed $10 billion acquisition of NYSE Euronext, Waste Management’s $4.6 billion acquisition of Advanced Disposal Services, Liberty Latin America’s $1.95 billion purchase of AT&T Puerto Rico, Google’s $2 billion acquisition of Fitbit, Google’s $700 million acquisition of ITA Software, Reading Health System’s proposed acquisition of Surgical Institute of Reading, and Universal Health Service’s acquisition of Ascend Health Corporation, among many others.<h4>Antitrust Conduct Litigation</h4>Alex has represented clients in some of the most significant antitrust cases of the last twenty years, including class actions and private party disputes, and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants. As The Legal 500 U.S. Antitrust: Civil Litigation/Class Actions Defense guide noted, “Alex Okuliar litigates cutting-edge antitrust topics such as platform competition and data collection as well as media cases.” His thought leadership on class action issues has also been cited by courts (See In re GPU Antitrust Litigation, 253 F.R.D. 478, 492–3 (2008)). Representative cases include:Private Party Disputes (Plaintiff and Defense)<ul><li>Avadel, a leading biopharmaceutical company, in Jazz Pharmaceuticals v. Avadel CNS Pharmaceuticals (D. Del.), alleging monopolization and other unlawful conduct by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. The case squarely addressed conduct long viewed by enforcers as anticompetitive, placing it at the forefront of pharmaceutical antitrust enforcement. The FTC also filed an <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/11/ftc-amicus-brief-challenges-abuse-fda-orange-book-listing-procedures-block-drug-competition" target="_blank">amicus brief</a> explaining to the Court the harm to competition from such listings. With trial imminent, achieved sweeping global settlement, delivering $90 million payment, perpetual worldwide license to key patents, and long-term certainty over Avadel’s commercial rights, unlocking Avadel’s strategic potential, culminating in a proposed $2.37 billion acquisition. The MoFo team recently won Global Competition Review’s 2026 – Litigation of the Year – Non-Cartel Prosecution.</li></ul><ul><li>Capital One in American Express v. Visa, et al. (S.D.N.Y.), where he defended the client against group boycott claims alleging that certain exclusive bylaws for the Visa and Mastercard credit card networks represented an agreement to boycott American Express. The case settled after years of litigation.</li><li>The Clorox Company and its Brita subsidiary in Zerowater v. Clorox, Brita, et al. (E.D. Pa), a lawsuit which involves allegations of patent ambush, monopolization and unfair competition. The case recently settled.</li><li>Icon, a real estate development company, in Icon v. Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, et al. (C.D. Cal.), a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging monopolization, sham petitioning, and other claims in labor markets. See the press coverage in <a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/bloomberglawnews/antitrust/XEJFH0U8000000?bna_news_filter=antitrust#jcite" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>. The case settled.</li><li>Provi, an e-commerce platform, in Tiz (d/b/a Provi) v. Southern Glazer’s and Republic National Distribution Co. (N.D. Ill.), an antitrust claim alleging monopolization, tying, and group boycott, among other conduct, by the nation’s largest alcohol distributors to eliminate new and innovative online marketplace competition from Provi. See coverage of the case by <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/29/alcohol-ordering-antitrust-suit-00021383" target="_blank">Politico</a>.</li><li>A national financial institution in its defense against state unfair competition claims in connection with a business transaction.</li><li>A leading online professional networking site in its defense against unfair competition claims based on allegations that the site had blocked a competing site from scraping its data to develop another service.</li><li>A leading medical imaging technology company in an antitrust counterclaim related to a patent infringement action.</li><li>An online media streaming company in an antitrust counterclaim against the major national television broadcasters related to a copyright infringement lawsuit.</li></ul>Class Action Defense<ul><li>Asiana Airlines in In re Korean Air Lines Co. Antitrust Litigation (C.D. Cal.), defending against a class action alleging price-fixing of passenger air fares. Client prevailed on motion to dismiss claims of indirect purchasers of passenger air fares, which was upheld in relevant part on appeal, and the remainder of the case settled. </li><li>Asiana Airlines in In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation (E.D.N.Y) to defend against a class action alleging price-fixing of cargo shipping fees. The case was ultimately settled.</li><li>Capital One in In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Litigation (E.D.N.Y.), to defend against alleged price-fixing claims related to credit card interchange fees. This matter ultimately settled.</li><li>Honeywell in Wright v. Honeywell (Vt.), McKinnon v. Honeywell (Me.), Fagan v. Honeywell (Mass.), and Roos v. Honeywell (Cal.), to defend against class actions alleging monopolization of certain home thermostats. Certain cases were dismissed after briefing and oral argument and others were ultimately settled.</li></ul>Other (Government Litigation)<ul><li>The United States in United States v. Google (search) (D.D.C.), in its landmark monopolization case against a leading online search engine. He served as the senior Antitrust Division official overseeing the DOJ staff team to develop and prosecute the lawsuit.</li><li>The United States in United States and the State of Michigan v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (E.D. Mich.) regarding allegations that the defendant’s most favored nation provisions in its contracts with providers were an unlawful restraint of trade. The matter was dismissed after the State of Michigan enacted laws banning the use of most favored nation clauses by insurers, health maintenance organizations, and nonprofit health care corporations in contracts with providers.</li></ul><h4>Government Investigations & Policy Advocacy</h4>Alex also handles investigations, compliance counseling, and policy advocacy for governmental entities. As one client noted in The Legal 500 U.S. Antitrust: Cartels guide, “Alex Okuliar brings a calm and thoughtful approach to the matters he advises on. He has good judgment and delivers advice in a user-friendly format. He stays current on emerging issues in antitrust law and provides a helpful perspective on areas of risk and how to best address those areas.”Some of his matters include representing:<ul><li>An AI company in an FTC investigation of a technology platform.</li><li>A technology company in its defense against an FTC investigation into an alleged order violation.</li><li>A major chemical company as a leniency applicant in a DOJ criminal price-fixing investigation.</li><li>An airline in various DOJ criminal cargo and passenger airfare antitrust investigations.</li><li>A technology company in a DOJ investigation of an alleged no-poach agreement relating to employee hiring.</li><li>A major energy company as a third-party complainant and witness in an FTC investigation leading to litigation against the merging companies.</li><li>An energy company in an internal investigation of trading activity related to allegations of price fixing.</li><li>A major hospital system in a state AG price-fixing and market allocation investigation.</li><li>A ticket reseller in a state AG consumer protection investigation.</li><li>A major retailer as a third party in multiple state and federal investigations.</li><li>Clients advocating to government agencies on issues relating to technology platforms, mergers, and issues involving antitrust and intellectual property.</li></ul>

Alexander Okuliar

Chair of Global Antitrust Law Practice Group

Alexander Israel is a partner in the firm’s Brussels and Berlin office and a member of the Antitrust practice.Alexander chairs the European Competition practice and is the office managing partner of the Brussels office. He is a prominent antitrust authority and longstanding adviser to global companies and senior executives. His practice focuses on cartel and abuse of dominance investigations brought by the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office, as well as related litigation before the European and German courts. Alexander regularly handles high-profile cases — including the Air Cargo defense and the CDS defense (both GCR Matters of the Year). Alexander also advises on merger control and global regulatory approval strategies, for example for Amgen/Horizon and Pfizer/Arena. Main areas of his practice include technology, life sciences, aviation, automotive, and financial services. Alexander manages a high volume of significant cases, many involving cutting-edge legal challenges.Legal 500, Chambers, JUVE, Who’s Who Legal, and Global Competition Review (GCR) rank Alexander as a leading practitioner for European and German matters. Alexander and his team won the award “European Competition or Antitrust Team of the Year 2023” (The Lawyer) for an antitrust litigation victory at the European Court of Justice.Alexander is often asked to speak at conferences and universities and has authored multiple books and articles on German and European Union competition law.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Alexander led the Brussels office of another leading U.S. law firm, where he played a key role in establishing the office and leading antitrust initiatives, frequently tackling complex and precedent-setting issues across transactions, investigations, and litigation.He is admitted in Germany and Belgium and speaks German, English, and French.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>European airline in various disputes with another airline concerning feeder flights, including litigation</li><li>Representing Condor in its successful challenge of the European Commission’s approval of Lufthansa’s COVID aid</li><li>U.S. technology companies in ongoing cartel investigation by the European Commission</li><li>Represented numerous national and international companies in global cartel investigations, in particular in the automotive sector</li><li>Secured full immunity for a leading U.S. company in the EC investigation “Car Battery Recycling”</li><li>Represented WABCO, Trane, and Ideal Standard before the General Court in the bathroom fittings cartel case, resulting in a historic fine reduction of €205 million</li><li>Represented a Swiss watchmaker in the EC investigation “Independent Watch Repairers,” resulting in a closure</li><li>Represented a Swiss watchmaker in proceedings before the European Court and the European Court of Justice</li><li>Represented the European Commission in the case T-441/14 “Power Cables”</li><li>Represented Lufthansa and Swiss in their appeal of the cartel decision “Air Cargo,” achieving the first annulment of an immunity decision (Matter of the Year 2016, Global Competition Review)</li><li>Represented a bearing manufacturer in the European Commission’s cartel case “Bearings”</li><li>Represented two European airlines in the EC code-share investigation</li><li>Represented a European investment bank in the EC’s proceedings into CDS (various allegations) resulting in a rare closure of the file after the Statement of Objections (Behavioural Matter of the Year 2016, Global Competition Review)</li><li>Coordinated a global defense against private damage claims for antitrust violations</li><li>Represented Lufthansa in the worldwide merger clearances for the acquisitions of Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and BMI, as well as the sale of BMI to IAG</li><li>Represented Cisco in the worldwide merger control clearance of its acquisition of Tandberg and CoreOptics</li><li>Represented Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines before the General Court in cases T-162/10</li><li>Handled numerous EC complaints alleging abuse of dominance and defending such allegations</li></ul>

Alexander Israel ist Partner des Berliner und Brüsseler Büros sowie Mitglied der Praxisgruppe Kartellrecht.Alexander Israel ist Leiter der Praxisgruppe Europäisches Wettbewerbsrecht und Office Managing Partner des Brüsseler Büros. Er ist ein hoch angesehener Experte für Kartellrecht und langjähriger Berater globaler Unternehmen und ihrer Vorstände. Seine Tätigkeitsschwerpunkte liegen im Bereich der Kartelluntersuchungen und Untersuchungen bezüglich des Missbrauchs von Marktmacht, die von der Europäischen Kommission und dem Bundeskartellamt durchgeführt werden, sowie damit zusammenhängenden Prozessen vor europäischen und deutschen Gerichten. Er berät regelmäßig zu komplexen Rechtsstreitigkeiten, darunter die Verteidigung in Sachen „Air Cargo“ und „Credit Default Swaps“ - beide Mandate wurden von der führenden Fachzeitschrift für Kartell- und Wettbewerbsrecht GCR als Matters of the Year ausgezeichnet. Alexander Israel berät ebenso im Bereich der Fusionskontrolle und zu globalen, regulatorischen Genehmigungsstrategien, unter anderem die Biotech- und Pharmafirmen Amgen/Horizon und Pfizer/Arena. Seine Praxis umfasst insbesondere die Bereiche Technologie, Life Sciences, Luftfahrt, Automobilindustrie und Finanzdienstleistungen. Alexander Israel betreut eine Vielzahl herausragender Verfahren, viele davon mit neuartigen und richtungsweisenden rechtlichen Fragestellungen.Alexander Israel wird von Publikationen wie Legal 500, Chambers, JUVE, Who’s Who Legal und Global Competition Review (GCR) regelmäßig als führender Experte im Bereich des europäischen und deutschen Kartellrechts bezeichnet. Für seinen wegweisenden Erfolg in einem Gerichtsverfahren vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof hat die britische Fachzeitschrift The Lawyer Alexander Israel und sein Team mit dem Titel „European Competition or Antitrust Team of the Year 2023“ ausgezeichnet.Er wird regelmäßig als Vortragender auf Konferenzen und an Universitäten eingeladen und hat zahlreiche Bücher und Artikel zum deutschen und europäischen Wettbewerbsrecht veröffentlicht.Vor seinem Eintritt bei Morrison Foerster leitete Alexander Israel das Brüsseler Büro einer anderen führenden US-amerikanischen Kanzlei, wo er eine Schlüsselrolle beim Aufbau des Büros und der europäischen Kartellrechtspraxis innehatte und sich mit komplexen, richtungsweisenden Fragen zu Transaktionen, Untersuchungen und Rechtsstreitigkeiten befasste.Er ist in Deutschland und Belgien zugelassen und spricht Deutsch, Englisch und Französisch.<h4>Referenzen</h4><ul><li>Eine europäische Fluggesellschaft in verschiedenen Streitigkeiten wegen Missbrauchs einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung, einschließlich Prozessführung</li><li>Vertretung von Condor bei der erfolgreichen Anfechtung der Genehmigung von COVID-Hilfen für Lufthansa durch die Europäische Kommission</li><li>US-Technologieunternehmen in einer laufenden Kartelluntersuchung durch die Europäische Kommission</li><li>Vertretung zahlreicher nationaler und internationaler Unternehmen in globalen kartellrechtlichen Untersuchungen, insbesondere im Automobilsektor</li><li>Erwirkung vollständiger Immunität für ein führendes US-Unternehmen in der Untersuchung „Car Battery Recycling“ der Europäischen Kommission</li><li>Vertretung von WABCO, Trane und Ideal Standard vor dem Gericht der Europäischen Union im Kartellverfahren zu Sanitärarmaturen, mit einer historisch einmaligen Reduzierung der Geldbuße um 205 Millionen Euro</li><li>Vertretung eines Schweizer Uhrenherstellers in der Untersuchung „Independent Watch Repairers“ der Europäischen Kommission, die zu einer Einstellung des Verfahrens führte</li><li>Vertretung eines Schweizer Uhrenherstellers in Verfahren vor dem Europäischen Gericht und dem Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union</li><li>Vertretung der Europäischen Kommission im Fall T-441/14 „Power Cables“</li><li>Vertretung von Lufthansa und Swiss in ihrer Berufung gegen die Kartellentscheidung „Air Cargo“, die erstmalig zur Aufhebung einer Immunitätsentscheidung führte (Matter of the Year 2016, Global Competition Review)</li><li>Vertretung eines Wälzlagerherstellers im Kartellverfahren „Bearings“ der Europäischen Kommission</li><li>Vertretung zweier europäischer Fluggesellschaften in der Kartelluntersuchung der Europäischen Kommission zu Code-Share-Vereinbarung</li><li>Vertretung einer europäischen Investmentbank in den Verfahren der Europäischen Kommission zu CDS (Credit Default Swaps), was zu einer seltenen Einstellung des Verfahrens nach der Mitteilung der Beschwerdepunkte führte (Behavioural Matter of the Year 2016, Global Competition Review)</li><li>Koordination einer globalen Verteidigung gegen private Schadenersatzansprüche wegen Wettbewerbsverstößen</li><li>Vertretung der Lufthansa in den weltweiten Fusionskontrollverfahren für die Übernahmen von Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines und bmi sowie beim Verkauf von bmi an IAG</li><li>Vertretung von Cisco in der weltweiten Fusionskontrollprüfung der Übernahme von Tandberg und Coreoptics</li><li>Vertretung von Lufthansa und Austrian Airlines vor dem Gericht der Europäischen Union im Fall T-162/10</li><li>Bearbeitung zahlreicher Beschwerden bei der Europäischen Kommission wegen Missbrauchs einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung und Verteidigung gegen solche Vorwürfe</li></ul>

Alexander Israel

Managing Partner, Brussels

Eliot Adelson is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Litigation practice where he handles complex legal issues facing clients in jurisdictions around the world. He provides clients with creative strategies for resolving a broad range of disputes, including civil and criminal antitrust litigation and internal and government investigations.Eliot represents clients across a spectrum of industries, including auto parts, major media companies and TV station operators, banking and finance, communications, and software and technology, among others. Eliot has experience providing unique and complex advice across a range of matters, including internal investigations, civil and criminal cartel investigations, and litigation.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Eliot cultivated an international client base across industries and geographies over his 15-year tenure at another global law firm. Japanese companies look to him for his deep knowledge of antitrust matters.Eliot previously served as a Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County in California. He is on the board of the Contra Costa Senior Legal Services and is a member of the Executive Committee for the Antitrust & UCL Section of the California Lawyers Association.<h4 dir="ltr">Representative Experience</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">Murata Manufacturing. Represented Murata, a Japanese electric components manufacturer, in a putative class action alleging that certain electronics manufacturers conspired to fix the prices of inductors.</li><li dir="ltr">Nexstar Media Group. Representing Nexstar in a putative class action alleging that certain television station owners conspired to fix the prices of local television advertising.</li><li>Represented a major publicly traded REIT in a putative class action filed by renters alleging that multifamily property owners engaged in anticompetitive conduct to increase the price of leases across the United States.</li><li dir="ltr">Represented a Japanese manufacturer in connection with the TFT-LCD and CRT price fixing cases.</li><li dir="ltr">Arm Limited. Represented SoftBank Group and Arm Limited on complex antitrust and national security issues arising from NVIDIA’s proposed acquisition of Arm from SoftBank for $65 billion. </li><li dir="ltr">TIBC. Represented Japanese company TIBC in response to an investigation of the semiconductor packaging industry.</li><li dir="ltr">Former CEO of G4S Belgium. Representing the former CEO of G4S who has been indicted by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division related to allegations of a conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for certain contracts.</li><li dir="ltr">Conducted an internal investigation for Kobe Steel related to alleged data falsification.</li><li dir="ltr">Represented a group of defendant landowners in a price-fixing case alleging that the defendants fixed prices for land in Solano County.</li><li dir="ltr">Represented a global pharmaceutical company in a price fixing and market allocation investigation.</li><li dir="ltr">Tenneco. Represented Tenneco, a Fortune 500 automotive components manufacturer, in connection with DOJ and other enforcement agencies’ auto parts investigations.</li><li dir="ltr">Represented several individual executives in the DOJ Antitrust Division’s auto parts investigation.</li><li dir="ltr">Represented several individual executives in the DOJ Antitrust Division’s capacitor investigation.</li><li dir="ltr">Toyota Industries Corp. Represented Japanese company Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) in connection with the DOJ’s second request concerning TICO’s acquisition of Cascade Corporation.</li><li dir="ltr">Bain Capital. Represented Bain Capital, a leading multi-asset alternative investment firm, in connection with the DOJ’s second request concerning Big Tex Trailer’s acquisition of American Trailer Works</li></ul>

Eliot A. Adelson

Partner

Daralyn Durie is among the top trial lawyers in the country, acting as go-to trial counsel for both plaintiffs and defendants. Daralyn’s exceptional track record has earned her consistent recognition from leading national publications. Chambers has listed her among the top 10 intellectual property lawyers in the U.S. and Law360 has recognized her as an “Icon of IP” and an MVP. Benchmark Litigation reported that “going against her was like going against a boxer in which you know you’re going to get hurt.” She’s a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and an inductee into the California Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame.Daralyn’s legal career began at Berkeley Law, followed by a clerkship for the Honorable Douglas Ginsburg on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She became a partner at a litigation boutique in 1999 and, in 2009, co-founded Durie Tangri, a premier litigation boutique that later combined with Morrison Foerster in 2023.In addition to her courtroom successes, Daralyn is actively involved in the legal community. She is a board member of the National Women’s Law Center, a past president of the Northern California Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and served as an adjunct professor at Berkeley Law, where she taught civil trial advocacy.Life SciencesDaralyn has decades of experience in the life sciences sector. She spearheaded the enforcement of Genentech’s Cabilly family of patents, which generated billions of dollars in licensing revenue. She served as lead counsel in the Herceptin biosimilar litigation and recently achieved a plaintiff-side jury verdict of $178 million in a patent infringement case involving melanoma therapy.TechnologyIn the tech sector, Daralyn recently won defense jury verdicts for Aptiv (USB hubs), Activision (in the Eastern District of Texas), and Redbubble. She served as lead counsel for Google, defending Google Books from copyright infringement claims. Following extensive litigation on copyright and antitrust issues, Google prevailed on summary judgment, resulting in Daralyn being named an Attorney of the Year by California Lawyer magazine.

Daralyn Durie

Jan Lang is a partner in the Brussels and Berlin offices. He advises clients on all aspects of European and German antitrust law.His practice focuses on merger control proceedings, cartel investigations, and abuse of dominance cases. Jan represents clients before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office as well as in related proceedings before European and German courts. His extensive experience ranges from compliance matters and regulatory proceedings to subsequent antitrust administrative court proceedings and actions for damages.Jan advises companies in various industries with a particular focus on technology, life sciences, and aviation companies. Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Jan practiced in the Brussels office of another leading U.S. law firm, where he played a key role in building the firm’s office and European antitrust practice, handling complex, landmark transactional, investigative, and litigation matters. For his landmark success in a court case before the European Court of Justice, British trade journal The Lawyer awarded Jan and his team the title “European Competition or Antitrust Team of the Year 2023.”Jan studied at the University of Bayreuth and completed his legal clerkship at the Berlin Court of Appeal. During his legal clerkship, he worked as a national expert for Germany on a report for the European Commission on the evaluation of Regulation 1/2003 with a particular focus on the right of access to file and the complaints system. He is also a co-author of a study for the ECON-Committee of the European Parliament: A Practitioner’s View on the Role and Powers of National Competition Authorities. Jan is a member of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht and the American Bar Association.Jan is admitted to practice in Berlin and Brussels and speaks German and English.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>A European airline in various disputes regarding abuse of a dominant market position, including litigation</li><li>Condor in its successful challenge to the European Commission’s approval of COVID-19 aid to Lufthansa</li><li>U.S. technology companies in an ongoing antitrust investigation by the European Commission</li><li>Numerous national and international companies in global antitrust investigations, particularly in the automotive sector</li><li>A leading U.S. company in obtaining full immunity in the European Commission’s “Car Battery Recycling” investigation</li><li>A leading industrial company in obtaining full immunity in a purchasing cartel</li><li>Horizon in its sale to Amgen for USD 28 billion</li><li>Arena Pharmaceuticals in its sale to Pfizer for USD 6.7 billion</li><li>Tableau in its sale to Salesforce for USD 15.7 billion</li><li>Cornerstone in its sale to Clearlake for USD 5.2 billion</li></ul>

Jan Lang ist Partner des Brüsseler und Berliner Büros. Er berät Mandanten zu allen Fragen des europäischen und deutschen Kartellrechts.Sein Fokus liegt insbesondere auf Fusionskontrollverfahren, Kartelluntersuchungen und Fällen des Missbrauchs von Marktmacht. Jan Lang vertritt Mandanten vor der Europäischen Kommission und dem Bundeskartellamt sowie in damit zusammenhängenden Prozessen vor europäischen und deutschen Gerichten. Seine Beratung reicht dabei von Compliance Beratung über behördliche Verfahren zu daran anschließenden kartellverwaltungsgerichtlichen Verfahren sowie Schadensersatzklagen.Jan Lang berät Unternehmen aus verschiedenen Branchen mit einem besonderen Fokus auf Technologie-, Life Sciences- und Luftfahrtunternehmen. Vor seinem Eintritt bei Morrison Foerster war Jan Lang im Brüsseler Büro einer anderen führenden US-amerikanischen Kanzlei tätig, wo er eine Schlüsselrolle beim Aufbau des Büros und der europäischen Kartellrechtspraxis innehatte und sich mit komplexen, richtungsweisenden Fragen zu Transaktionen, Untersuchungen und Rechtsstreitigkeiten befasste. Für seinen wegweisenden Erfolg in einem Gerichtsverfahren vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof hat die britische Fachzeitschrift The Lawyer Jan Lang und sein Team mit dem Titel „European Competition or Antitrust Team of the Year 2023“ ausgezeichnet.Jan Lang hat an der Universität Bayreuth studiert und sein Referendariat am Kammergericht Berlin absolviert. Während des Referendariats hat er als nationaler Experte für Deutschland an einem Bericht für die Europäische Kommission zur Evaluierung der Verordnung 1/2003 mit besonderen Fokus auf das Akteneinsichtsrecht und das Beschwerdesystem mitgewirkt. Er ist auch Co-Autor einer Studie für das ECON-Committee des Europäischen Parlaments: A Practitioner´s View on the Role and Powers of National Competition Authorities. Jan Lang ist Mitglied der Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht und der American Bar Association.Jan Lang ist in Berlin und Brüssel zugelassen und spricht Deutsch und Englisch.<h4>Referenzen</h4><ul><li>Beratung einer europäischen Fluggesellschaft in verschiedenen Streitigkeiten wegen Missbrauchs einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung, einschließlich Prozessführung</li><li>Vertretung von Condor bei der erfolgreichen Anfechtung der Genehmigung von COVID-Hilfen für Lufthansa durch die Europäische Kommission</li><li>US-Technologieunternehmen in einer laufenden Kartelluntersuchung durch die Europäische Kommission</li><li>Vertretung zahlreicher nationaler und internationaler Unternehmen in globalen kartellrechtlichen Untersuchungen, insbesondere im Automobilsektor</li><li>Beratung beim Erhalt vollständiger Immunität für ein führendes US-Unternehmen in der Untersuchung „Car Battery Recycling“ der Europäischen Kommission</li><li>Beratung eines führenden Industrieunternehmens bei Erhalt vollständiger Immunität in einem Einkaufskartell</li><li>Fusionskontrollrechtliche Beratung von Horizon beim Verkauf für 28 Mrd. USD an Amgen</li><li>Fusionskontrollrechtliche Beratung von Arena Pharmaceuticals beim Verkauf für 6.7 Mrd. USD an Pfizer</li><li>Fusionskontrollrechtliche Beratung von Tableau beim Verkauf für 15.7 Mrd. USD an Salesforce</li><li>Fusionskontrollrechtliche Beratung von Cornerstone beim Verkauf für 5.2 Mrd. USD an Clearlake</li></ul>

Jan Lang

Margaret Webb is Of Counsel in Morrison Foerster’s Litigation Department and a member of the firm’s Global Antitrust Law Group. Margaret represents clients in a wide range of antitrust matters, including civil litigation, criminal and internal investigations, and compliance. She also has experience in a variety of commercial disputes, ranging from breach of contract to misappropriation of trade secrets. Her clients span a broad range of industries, including media, technology and software, manufacturing, and health care. Margaret’s active pro bono practice includes representing clients in asylum, civil rights, and free speech matters.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Margaret handled complex commercial litigation matters at another global law firm. She received her J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law, where she worked on the California Law Review and Berkeley Technology Law Journal. As a law student, Margaret externed for the Honorable Kim Wardlaw in the Ninth Circuit. Margaret received her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Margaret Webb

Of Counsel

Ella Edye is an associate in the Brussels office of Morrison Foerster and a member of the Litigation Group.Ella specializes in competition law, advising clients on merger filings and cartel cases across a range of industries, including technology, life sciences, aviation, and automotive.Ella earned a Master of European Law (LL.M.) from the College of Europe in Bruges in 2021 and graduated from Paris II Panthéon-Assas in 2020. Before joining Morrison Foerster, Ella gained experience at two leading U.S. law firms and at the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission.

Ella Edye ist Associate im Brüsseler Büro von Morrison Foerster und Mitglied der Praxisgruppe Litigation.Ihr Tätigkeitsschwerpunkt liegt im Kartellrecht. Sie berät Mandanten bei Fusionskontrollverfahren sowie in Kartellverfahren in verschiedenen Branchen, darunter Technologie, Life Sciences, Luftfahrt und Automobilindustrie.Ella erwarb 2021 den Master of European Law (LL.M.) am College of Europe in Brügge und schloss ihr rechtswissenschaftliches Studium an der Universität Paris II Panthéon-Assas im Jahr 2020 ab. Vor ihrem Eintritt bei Morrison Foerster sammelte sie praktische Erfahrungen in zwei führenden US-amerikanischen Kanzleien sowie bei der Generaldirektion für Wettbewerb (DG COMP) der Europäischen Kommission.

Ella Edye

Associate

Mika Fitzgerald is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s Litigation Department and a member of the firm’s Global Antitrust Law Group.Mika has represented clients in a wide range of antitrust matters, including at trial and in arbitration. She also has experience in a variety of commercial disputes, ranging from breach of contract to securities fraud. She has represented clients in a broad range of industries including financial services, technology and software, and healthcare.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Mika handled complex commercial litigation matters at another international law firm. She received her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and the online editor of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law. Mika received her B.S. with honors from Cornell University.

Mika Fitzgerald

Helen He is an associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Francisco office.Helen’s practice focuses on antitrust and intellectual property matters.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Helen was a summer associate at MoFo and summer law clerk for the Antitrust Section of the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. Prior to law school, Helen was a senior analyst at Cornerstone Research, a leading economic consulting firm.Helen received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. While in law school, she served as an executive editor of the Harvard Law Review. Helen received her B.A. magna cum laude in economics and computer science from Dartmouth College.

Helen He

Alexander Laute advises clients with a focus on European and German antitrust and competition law, in particular in antitrust damages proceedings and antitrust proceedings before German and European courts, as well as in merger control proceedings before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office.Before joining Morrison Foerster, he worked as an associate at international law firms in Zurich and Hamburg, focusing on antitrust and competition law as well as dispute resolution before national courts and arbitration tribunals.He is an associate in Morrison Foerster's Brussels office and a member of the Antitrust Practice Group.

Alexander Laute berät Mandanten mit Schwerpunkt im europäischen und deutschen Kartell- und Wettbewerbsrecht – insbesondere in Kartellschadensersatzverfahren und Kartellverfahren vor deutschen und europäischen Gerichten sowie in Fusionskontrollverfahren vor der Europäischen Kommission und dem Bundeskartellamt.Vor seinem Wechsel zu Morrison Foerster war er ab 2021 als Associate in internationalen Wirtschaftskanzleien in Zürich und Hamburg tätig, mit Fokus auf Kartell- und Wettbewerbsrecht sowie auf Streitbeilegung vor nationalen Gerichten und Schiedsgerichten.Er ist Associate im Büro von Morrison Foerster in Brüssel und Mitglied der Praxisgruppe Kartellrecht.

Alexander Laute

Tyler is an associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the Global Antitrust Law Practice Group.Tyler represents clients with respect to regulatory approvals for mergers and acquisitions, government investigations, civil litigation, and other antitrust compliance matters. Tyler’s experience spans numerous industries, including food and beverage, industrials, tech, and asset management.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Tyler worked in another international law firm’s antitrust and competition practice group. Tyler graduated magna cum laude from the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, where he was a member of the Journal of Law, Economics & Policy and the Moot Court Board. While in law school, he worked as a research assistant for the Global Antitrust Institute and served as co-chair of its Invitational Antitrust Moot Court Competition. He graduated with a B.A. in economics and a B.S. in finance from the University of Maryland.