Matt Tabas has extensive experience handling clients' most complex antitrust issues. His practice focuses on government reviews of mergers and acquisitions, antitrust litigation, civil government investigations, and antitrust counseling. In particular, he has represented clients in all phases of merger clearance, before the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state antitrust enforcement authorities, as well as before federal courts in litigated challenges by the government. He also frequently represents clients in high-stakes civil antitrust litigation.
Matt regularly represents clients in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, life sciences, medical devices, technology, media and entertainment, telecommunications, semiconductors, consumer products, food, and retail.
Prior to joining the firm, Matt served as a counsel to the director in the FTC's Bureau of Competition where he advised two Bureau of Competition Directors on antitrust issues affecting the healthcare, life sciences, technology, and chemical industries. Matt also worked as an attorney in the Mergers IV Division of the FTC, where, among other assignments, he led merger investigations into the mergers of healthcare providers. While at the FTC, Matt played an integral role in the trial teams that successfully challenged several high profile health system mergers involving, for example, OSF Healthcare System, Phoebe Putney Health System, and ProMedica Health System. While at the FTC, he also worked as a Competition Law Officer in the Canadian Competition Bureau's Mergers Branch as part of an agency staff exchange.
Experience
- AbbVie in its US$8.7 billion acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics.
- Pfizer in numerous transactions, including its US$43 billion acquisition of Seagen Inc. and its US$6.7 billion acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb in numerous transactions, including its US$90 billion acquisition of Celgene, its US$14 billion acquisition of Karuna Therapeutics, and its US$4.1 billion acquisition of Turning Point Therapeutics.
- Sony in its US$3.6 billion acquisition of games software developer Bungie.
- Billie Inc. in the sale of its business to Edgewell Personal Care.
- Fitbit Inc. in its US$2.1 billion sale to Google.
- Kroger in its sale of YouTechnology, its digital coupon and digital rebate publishing unit, to Inmar.
- NxStage Medical Inc. in connection with its US$2 billion sale to Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc.
- AT&T Inc. in its successful US$85.4 billion stock-and-cash acquisition of Time Warner Inc. After a DOJ investigation and the first vertical merger trial/appeal in decades, the transaction was approved with no finding of liability.
- BP in multiple transactions, including its US$10.5 billion acquisition of BHP's U.S. shale oil and gas assets and its US$155 million acquisition of the upstream portion of Clean Energy's renewable natural gas business and establishment of a long term supply contract with Clean Energy to support the firm's continuing downstream renewable natural gas business.
- General Electric in multiple transactions, including its US$85 million sale of the GE Dharmacon business to Horizon Discovery, the proposed sale of its appliances business to AB Electrolux, including the DOJ's litigation challenging the transaction, and the consummated US$5.6 billion sale of its appliances business to Qingdao Haier Co. Ltd.
Perspectives
Recognition
"Ones to Watch" Litigation: Antitrust (Washington, D.C.) (2022-2025)
Credentials
Education
- J.D., St. John's University School of Law, 2008
- A.B., Colby College, 2003, cum laude
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Government & Military Service
- Counsel to the Director, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission
- International Exchange Competition Law Officer, Mergers Branch, Competition Bureau Canada
- Attorney, Mergers IV, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission
Activities
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Member, ABA Section of Antitrust Law
- Vice Chair, ABA Section of Antitrust Law Podcast Committee (2024-2025)
- Co-Host, ABA Section of Antitrust Law’s "Our Curious Amalgam" Podcast
- Vice-Chair, ABA Section of Antitrust Law Media & Technology Committee (2021–2024)
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Young Lawyer Representative, Agriculture & Food Committee, ABA Section of Antitrust Law (2014–2015)