Ian R. Conner

ian.conner@lw.com

+1.202.637.1042

Profile

Ian Conner — former Director of the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Competition and Trial Attorney at the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice — advises leading multinational companies and private equity firms on complex antitrust and competition matters.

Ian draws on two decades of experience, as both a high-ranking enforcer and an elite private practitioner, to guide clients through their most nuanced matters, with a particular focus on:

Merger control
Government investigations
Class actions
Third-party representation before antitrust agencies

He leverages his comprehensive understanding of agency operations, acute business sense, and thorough knowledge of case law to develop innovative legal strategies that help clients achieve success in their highest-stakes matters.

Ian led a staff of nearly 300 at the FTC’s Bureau of Competition through the most active enforcement year since 2000. He oversaw the creation of the agency’s Technology Enforcement Division and the release of the 2020 iteration of the vertical merger guidelines with the DOJ, as well as initiated a proposed rulemaking and re-examination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. As a testament to Ian's leadership as Director, the Bureau of Competition ranked 3rd out of 411 agency components in the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey.

Ian began his career as a Trial Attorney in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, which he joined through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. He also served as a Special Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he first-chaired trials in federal court.

A recognized industry leader, he has held various leadership positions within the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section, including as Co-Chair of the Fall Forum (2023–present), Vice Chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee (2017–2019), Vice Chair of the Civil Practice and Procedure Committee (2014–2017), and Founder and Co-Chair (2010–2012) and Chair (2012–2014) of the Agriculture and Food Committee.

Experience

Ian's experience includes representing:

Merger Clearance

Cerner, a provider of digital information systems for the healthcare industry, in obtaining global merger clearances for its US$28.3 billion sale to Oracle
Paper Excellence in its US$3 acquisition of Domtar and its US$2.7 billion acquisition of Resolute Forest Products
Intuit in its US$12 billion acquisition of MailChimp
LifePoint Health and Apollo Global Management portfolio company, in acquiring Kindred Healthcare
Neenah Enterprises, a manufacturer of municipal and industrial castings and GoldenTree Asset Management portfolio company, in acquiring US Foundry
ANI Pharmaceuticals in the antitrust aspects of its US$210 million acquisition of Novitium Pharma, a privately held pharmaceutical company
Teva Pharmaceuticals in its US$40.5 billion acquisition of Allergan’s generics business, which received the 2017 Global Competition Review award for Merger Control Matter of the Year – Americas*
Leap Wireless and Cricket Communications in their US$4 billion acquisition by AT&T*

Antitrust Conduct Investigations

Abbott Laboratories in an FTC investigation into collusion in the infant formula space
O-I Glass in an investigation of the use of noncompete clauses in employment contracts
Representing companies in Robinson-Patman Act investigations by federal antitrust agencies

Antitrust Litigation

Avadel Pharmaceuticals in ongoing patent litigation defense and antitrust counterclaims against Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Delaware federal court, which resulted in Jazz’s delisting a patent from the FDA’s “Orange Book”
Third party in US Department of Justice challenge to JetBlue/Spirit merger
American Airlines in litigation with the US Department of Justice regarding an airline joint venture
Third parties in DOJ challenges to the proposed Anthem/Cigna and Aetna/Humana mergers*
A third party in the FTC’s challenge of the proposed merger between the Advocate and NorthShore hospital systems*
ABB Optical Group in a multidistrict antitrust class action alleging Sherman Act and state law violations*
Wyndham Worldwide in a multidistrict antitrust class action alleging Sherman Act violations*
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association in a multidistrict antitrust class action challenging the Blue System’s exclusive geographic licensing system under the antitrust laws*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham

Qualifications

Bar Qualification

District of Columbia
Virginia

Education

JD, William & Mary Law School, 2003
Law Review: Thomas Jefferson Prize for most outstanding note in the Bill of Rights Journal volume
BA in Public Policy, Washington & Lee University, 2000