Makan Delrahim

Makan Delrahim, former Assistant Attorney General in charge of the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division, advises clients on high-stakes mergers and acquisitions, government investigations, and crisis management.

Makan draws on more than a decade of senior-level government experience in both the executive and legislative branches to help clients skillfully navigate:

• Merger control procedures
• Complex commercial transactions
• Regulatory and government compliance issues
• Government investigations and congressional inquiries
• High-stakes litigation

He combines a sophisticated understanding of technical legal issues as well as a seasoned familiarity with the political and regulatory landscape to provide clients accessible, practical advice. As a respected thought leader on the interplay of antitrust, private equity, and emerging technologies including digital media, machine learning, and blockchain, he helps executives defuse contentious situations and make strategic business decisions, particularly in industries with dynamic international markets.

Government Service and Academia

As Assistant Attorney General at the DOJ, Makan oversaw the review and resolution of hundreds of mergers and acquisitions, as well as more than 100 criminal investigations and indictments. He played a vital role in building the Antitrust Division’s engagement with its international counterparts. He garnered considerable media coverage and is recognized as one of the most transformative and effective leaders of the division for his work related to entertainment, sports, and media.

He previously served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division overseeing International and Appellate (2003–2005), as a Commissioner on the Antitrust Modernization Commission (2004–2007), and as antitrust counsel and later as Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel of the US Senate Judiciary Committee (1998–2003).

Makan currently teaches the course, “M&A Transactions and the Role of Governments,” as an Adjunct Lecturer in Law at the University of Pennsylvania. He previously served on the Attorney General’s Task Force on Intellectual Property and as Chairman of the International Competition Network’s Merger Working Group.