Bill Baer, DOJ's Former Antitrust Head and Acting Associate Attorney General, to Rejoin Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
WASHINGTON, DC, May 10, 2017 — Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer announced today that Bill Baer, former Acting Associate Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), will rejoin the firm as partner on June 1, 2017, resident in the Washington office.
As one of the leading antitrust practitioners of his generation, Bill brings broad public policy expertise to the firm's preeminent antitrust practice. His experience in the public and private sectors makes him a seasoned and trusted advisor on crisis management and high-stakes matters, including bet-the-company litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and other government civil and criminal investigations, both domestically and internationally.
Richard M. Alexander, Chair of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, noted: "We are thrilled to welcome Bill back to the firm. He is an extraordinarily gifted practitioner and problem solver, not only in the antitrust arena, but in dealing with governmental authorities on a wide range of issues. We look forward to having his experience, legal acumen, and judgment in service to our clients."
In his four years at DOJ, the Antitrust Division achieved unprecedented success in antitrust civil and criminal enforcement, bringing and winning more cases than at any point in its history. Bill developed close working relationships with his competition enforcer colleagues around the world.
As Acting Associate Attorney General, Bill successfully led the effort to hold financial institutions accountable in the Residential Mortgage Backed Securities crisis, securing record penalties and consumer redress. He oversaw the work of the Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Tax, and Environment and Natural Resources Divisions. He led the Department's Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative to protect the employment, voting, and financial rights of our military, our veterans, and their families. He also was DOJ's point person internationally in promoting access to justice and the rule of law.
"I am honored to rejoin Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer," said Bill. "And I look forward to assisting its clients in taking on tough challenges here and around the world. I know well the firm's rich tradition and commitment to public and pro bono service and I look forward to being part of its bright future. There is no better place to practice law."
The move to private practice marks Bill's second return to the firm after public service.
From 1995 – 1999 he was the Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Between 1975 – 1980, he also held several positions at the FTC, including that of Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Congressional Relations and Attorney Advisor to the FTC Chairman.
Bill Baer began at Arnold & Porter as an associate in 1980. He was partner from 1983 – 1995, and again from 2000 – 2012. He served as head of the firm's Antitrust practice from 2000 – 2012, handling complex civil and criminal investigations and litigation in the antitrust and trade regulation areas. He was also instrumental in opening the firm's Brussels office in 2003 and establishing a robust global antitrust practice.
Bill has consistently been recognized as a leading practitioner. He was twice named by Global Competition Review as the best competition lawyer in the world, honored, in 2010 and 2012, by Best Lawyers as the best antitrust lawyer in Washington, and named by The National Law Journal as one of "The Decade's Most Influential Lawyers." In 2015, the FTC honored him with the Miles W. Kirkpatrick Lifetime Achievement Award for public service.
Bill received his BA, cum laude, from Lawrence University. He received his JD from Stanford Law School, where he served as Senior Article Editor of The Stanford Law Review.
About Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
With nearly 1,000 lawyers practicing in 13 offices around the globe, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP serves clients across 40 distinct practice areas. The combined firm, which draws upon the legacies of both Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer, brings together 100 years of renowned regulatory expertise, sophisticated litigation and transactional practices, and leading multidisciplinary offerings in the life sciences and financial services industries.