Former Assistant Attorney General For US Department Of Justice, Antitrust Division Joins Latham

Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that Makan Delrahim, former Assistant Attorney General (AAG) in the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Antitrust Division (2017-2021), has joined as a partner in the Antitrust & Competition Practice, and as a member of the Litigation & Trial Department. He is a resident of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and looks forward to expanding his practice to Southern California. With nearly a decade serving in a variety of senior government positions, including a four-year term on the Presidential and Congressional-appointed Antitrust Modernization Commission, and 15-years of private practice, Delrahim brings a wealth of knowledge and impressive credentials to Latham’s market-leading global Antitrust & Competition Practice. 

“We are delighted to add Makan to our elite team. Bringing him on board further bolsters our preeminent global Antitrust & Competition Practice and, along with the arrival of Carles Esteva Mosso in 2021, means we now have recent leading competition enforcers in the US and Europe,” said Amanda Reeves, Global Chair of Latham’s Antitrust & Competition Practice. “We’ve worked incredibly hard over the years to further build out a formidable, highly experienced team. Makan brings an enforcer’s perspective and a savvy business acumen to our world-class practice, and his arrival marks yet another important step in the continuing development of our capabilities in the US and around the globe.” 

Michael Egge, an antitrust partner in Latham & Watkins’ Washington, D.C. office and member of the firm’s Executive Committee, added: “Makan is among a very small group of leading practitioners in the US with many years of experience on the frontlines advising on complex antitrust matters. In addition to his deep knowledge of competition and regulatory law, his leadership and unmatched capabilities make him a prominent trailblazer on the world’s antitrust and business stage. His role on the Antitrust Modernization Commission, a who’s who of the top competition minds in the country, is further testament to his exemplary leadership. His background strongly complements our Antitrust & Competition Practice and cuts across several sectors driving the global economy.” 

Latham Chair and Managing Partner Rich Trobman said: “We are strongly committed to serving the evolving needs of our clients as they navigate an increasingly complex and competitive global market. Makan’s distinguished track record, impressive credentials, and extraordinary depth and breadth of experience significantly expands our ability to serve our clients across their myriad legal needs. He will play a key role in further expanding our top-tier practice.”

During his tenure leading the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, Delrahim oversaw the review and resolution of hundreds of mergers and acquisitions, and more than 100 criminal investigations and indictments. Among his accomplishments, Delrahim: 

• Oversaw the first revision of the DOJ Vertical Merger Guidelines in 36 years
• Instituted broad procedural reforms to streamline and make transparent all merger reviews
• Initiated and negotiated to fruition the first-ever multilateral agreement between more than 70 global antitrust agencies to adhere to standards of procedural fairness
• Restructured the organization of the Antitrust Division for the first time in 20 years, including creating the new Financial Services and Fintech section
• Instituted the first policy on corporate compliance in criminal investigations

With the addition of Delrahim, Latham has — in just one year — welcomed three of the most senior former competition regulatory leaders from the DOJ, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the European Commission. Ian Conner, former Director of the Bureau of Competition at the FTC joined the firm in March 2021, and Carles Esteva Mosso, who served in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition, as Deputy Director-General for Mergers (2014-2019) and as Deputy Director-General for State Aid (2019-2021) joined the firm in June 2021. In addition to these leading individuals, Latham’s global antitrust team is home to a dozen more former government officials who joined from the DOJ, FTC, European Commission, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, and China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Prior to his time as AAG of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, Delrahim held numerous government positions. In 1998, he joined the US Senate Judiciary Committee, ultimately rising to Chief Counsel. Later, in his first role at the DOJ, Delrahim served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General (2003-2005), where he served on the Attorney General’s Task Force on Intellectual Property. Earlier in his career, he was in private practice where he advised clients on mergers and acquisitions and international trade litigation before the World Trade Organization. Delrahim has served at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as Chairman of Working Party 3 (WP3), focused on international cooperation and coordination; and as a member of the U.S. intra-governmental Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud.

“When it came time to consider my next move, Latham made the most sense for so many reasons, not least of which is the extraordinary strength and depth of the firm’s global platform, as well as the premier, market-leading antitrust group. Latham’s strong and growing capabilities in the US and around the world, especially in an increasingly global regulatory environment, will allow me to use my experiences to best serve the needs of clients. The team’s client service ethos, creativity, technical proficiency, legal skills, and business smarts are second to none, and I’m excited to join the group and to contribute to Latham’s ongoing success,” said Delrahim. 

Delrahim received his JD from George Washington University Law School; his BS from the University of California, Los Angeles; and his MS from Johns Hopkins University. Delrahim is an Adjunct Lecturer in Law at the University of Pennsylvania on M&A transactions and the role of governments, both international and domestic. He also taught Government & the Regulation of Entertainment Business at Pepperdine University from 2011-2016.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

¹ Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Firm of Salman M. Al-Sudairi, a limited liability company, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.