Lawrence E. Buterman

Partner

New York
lawrence.buterman@lw.com
+1.212.906.1264

PRACTICES

  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Litigation & Trial

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • District of Columbia
  • New York

EDUCATION

  • JD, Columbia University School of Law, 2000
    Columbia Law Review, Editor, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • BA, Johns Hopkins University, 1997
    Phi Beta Kappa

PROFILE

Lawrence Buterman, a nationally recognized first-chair antitrust lawyer formerly with the Department of Justice, is a go-to litigator for clients facing high-stakes government and private antitrust litigations, as well as federal and state government investigations.

Lawrence has been lead trial counsel in some of the most significant antitrust cases over the past 20 years, and is one of the few attorneys in the country to have successfully first chaired antitrust trials both on behalf of the government and against the government.

He  regularly represents clients across all industries facing all types of civil and criminal antitrust claims, including price-fixing, monopolization, class actions, and merger challenges. He leverages his former government experience and numerous trial victories to fight for his clients and provide them with pragmatic strategies and novel approaches, all to help ensure their business interests are protected, and that they prevail in their matters as early as possible.

Lawrence's notable trial wins at the DOJ include a landmark challenge to a price-fixing conspiracy involving e-books, as well as a high-profile challenge to a major acquisition in the digital tax preparation software space. His most recent trial victories in private practice include leading US Sugar’s defense against the DOJ’s attempt to enjoin the acquisition of Imperial Sugar, and defending a major US Sports federation in arbitration before the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

As a result of his litigation victories, Lawrence is recognized yearly by leading legal publications, including Chambers, Global Competition Review, Who’s Who Legal, Benchmark Litigation, The Legal 500, and Lawdragon.

In addition to his federal and state court trial work, Lawrence regularly represents companies in connection with investigations by the Antitrust Division at the DOJ, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general. He has successfully helped numerous companies obtain antitrust clearance for their most complex transactions, and avoid civil and criminal lawsuits for alleged antitrust violations.

With keen insight into the litigation risks of business decisions, Lawrence also provides strategic antitrust advice to multinational companies and business consortia on a wide range of topics, including fintech and ESG, among others.

Before joining Latham, Lawrence served several years in the DOJ as a trial attorney in the Networks and Technology Enforcement Section of the Antitrust Division. In that capacity, he analyzed dozens of merger and conduct matters in the high technology and financial services industries and developed a deep understanding of the government’s priorities and practices related to antitrust enforcement. While at the Antitrust Division, Lawrence  twice received the Antitrust Division’s Award of Distinction for successfully litigating merger and conduct matters on behalf of the United States.

He currently serves as the chair of the Monopolization and Big Tech Committee of the Antitrust Section of the New York State Bar Association.

Lawrence clerked for Judge Joel M. Flaum, then chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

EXPERIENCE

Lawrence's experience includes representing:

Antitrust Litigation Defense

  • A national sugar producer and refiner at trial in its successful defense against the DOJ’s attempt to prevent the company’s acquisition of a competitor
  • An international financial institution in class actions alleging group boycotts and conspiracies to fix prices of financial derivative instruments
  • A major United States sports federation in its successful defense against a preliminary injunction challenge to its rulemaking authority brought by one of its member leagues
  • A national agricultural company in connection with class action litigation alleging improper information exchanges and price fixing
  • A global window and door manufacturer before the DOJ and in private litigation stemming from the company’s acquisition of a competitor
  • A global glass manufacturer in a class action alleging participation in a conspiracy to fix prices of flat glass*
  • A multinational technology corporation in a lawsuit arising out of the company’s implementation of a standard essential patent in its products*
  • An international wheat company in a class action alleging price-fixing and RICO claims arising out of the company’s participation in the Oil-for-Food Program*

Government Investigations

  • A global entertainment company in connection with a DOJ investigation into potential consent decree violations
  • A global technology company in connection with various federal and state investigations into a series of acquisitions
  • A global insurance company in connection with a DOJ investigation into potential price-fixing
  • A global semiconductor company in connection with a state attorney general investigation into monopolization claims
  • A foreign auto parts manufacturer in class actions and related governmental investigations centering on allegations of the company’s participation in global price-fixing conspiracies
  • A global silicon metal and specialty alloys producer before the DOJ in connection with the company’s merger with a European competitor
  • A leading waste collection company in connection with various state attorneys general investigations into alleged price-fixing agreements
  • A leading aerospace component manufacturer in connection with a DOJ merger investigation

Department of Justice Litigation

  • The United States in a successful challenge of an alleged conspiracy against a major technology company and various publishers of e-books*
  • The United States at trial in its successful challenge to H&R Block’s acquisition of a key electronic tax preparation competitor*
  • The United States in its successful efforts to block AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile*
  • The United States in its successful efforts to unwind an acquisition by Dean Foods of Foremost Farms*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham