Barbara Wootton represents clients in government reviews of mergers and acquisitions, antitrust litigation, defense of government investigations, counseling, and establishing effective antitrust compliance and training programs. Ms. Wootton has considerable experience in competition matters involving the pharmaceutical sector in particular and has represented clients in a range of other industries including biotechnology, private equity, telecommunications, consumer products, and real estate. Ms. Wootton also regularly counsels and represents clients regarding filing obligations under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
Before joining Arnold & Porter, Ms. Wootton served as judicial clerk to the Honorable Murray M. Schwartz, United Sates District Court for the District of Delaware and to the Honorable John M. Steadman of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Prior to entering law school, Ms. Wootton worked as an economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Experience
- Altria in its US$2.75 billion acquisition of NJOY Holdings Inc.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb in its US$4.1 billion acquisition of Turning Point Therapeutics.
- AbbVie in its US$550 million acquisition of medical device company, Soliton Inc.
- AbbVie in its US$63 billion acquisition of Allergan. The FTC approved the transaction with modest divestitures.
- Snapfish LLC and District Photo, Inc. in connection with Apollo Global Management's acquisition of Snapfish LLC and Shutterfly Inc.
- Panasonic in its JV with Toyota to make electric vehicle batteries.
- Monsanto in connection with its US$66 billion acquisition by Bayer in obtaining merger clearances in the U.S., EU and other jurisdictions. The transaction closed after a 20-month DOJ investigation leading to what the DOJ characterized as "the largest negotiated merger divestiture ever required by the United States."
- General Electric in multiple transactions involving purchase and sale of energy finance investments.
- Monsanto Company and its subsidiary The Climate Corporation in the sale of Precision Planting LLC to AGCO.
- AT&T Inc. before the FCC in connection with its acquisitions of DIRECTV and Leap Wireless.
- Monsanto in its US$930 million acquisition of The Climate Corporation.
- AT&T Inc. in obtaining U.S. Department of Justice and FCC approval for its acquisition of wireless telecommunications providers Allied Wireless.
- Pactiv Corporation, a leading manufacturer of packaging products including Hefty® brands, in obtaining FTC clearance of its US$4.5 billion acquisition by Rank Group, private equity owner of Reynolds packaging business.
Perspectives
Recognition
"Notable Practitioner" — M&A (USA) (2019-2023)
Credentials
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1998, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- M.S., University of Wisconsin—Madison, 1993
- A.B., Cornell University, 1987
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. District Court, District of Delaware, The Honorable Murray M. Schwartz
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals, The Honorable John M. Steadman