Justin P. Hedge | People | Arnold & Porter

Justin Hedge is a seasoned antitrust counselor focused on representing clients in complex mergers and business conduct investigations before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, and State Attorneys General. With experience leading high-stakes matters for clients such as BP, Altria, GE, Intel, and AMC, Justin brings years of practical insight to help secure clearances for mergers and joint ventures, as well as setup and defend various commercial practices and compliance strategies.

Justin has litigated mergers, as well as price fixing, monopolization, and other antitrust claims—including before the FTC’s Administrative Law Judge.

Justin counsels clients across many industries, including telecommunications, semiconductors, software, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, healthcare services, consumer products, agriculture, media & entertainment, oil & gas, petrochemicals, private equity, and financial services.

Serving in the American Bar Association Antitrust Section’s leadership for a decade, Justin has been at the forefront of antitrust legal and policy developments through committees and task forces related to federal enforcement, monopolization, and global competition law policy. Justin also chaired the editorial board for the Section’s handbook on monopolization law.

Justin maintains an active pro bono docket in the D.C. and Virginia state courts, including first-chair trial matters. Prior to joining the firm, he interned as a law clerk for Judge Reggie B. Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and Judge Patricia A. Broderick of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

Focus Areas

Antitrust/Competition

Experience

Altria in its US$12.8 billion partial acquisition of leading e-vapor company Juul Labs, including winning on all counts in litigation before the FTC’s Administrative Law Judge.
BP in securing unconditional clearance after FTC review for its US$1.3 billion acquisition of TravelCenters of America Inc.
Boston Scientific in securing unconditional clearance for its US$615 million acquisition of Apollo Endosurgery Inc.
BP in its US$4.1 billion acquisition of Archaea Energy Inc., a leading producer of renewable natural gas.
Cisco Systems Inc. in its US$1.9 billion acquisition of cloud-based unified communications provider BroadSoft Inc., which was cleared without a Second Request by DOJ and without conditions worldwide.

AMC Entertainment Inc. in its US$1.1 billion acquisition of Carmike Cinemas to become the largest U.S. and Global exhibitor.
Kroger in securing unconditional FTC clearance for its US$2.5 billion sale of its convenience store unit to EG Group, a privately held convenience store retailer.
Altria in its US$2.75 billion acquisition of NJOY Holdings Inc.
The Saul Zaentz Company and its subsidiary, Middle-earth Enterprises, in the sale of the worldwide film, stage, video game, and merchandising rights in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien to Embracer Freemode Iconic Holding Inc., a subsidiary of the Swedish gaming company, Embracer Group.
Numerex, an Internet of Things M2M enterprise solutions provider, in its sale to Sierra Wireless, a global device-to-cloud solutions provider.
Boston Scientific in its acquisition of a minority stake of M.I.Tech Co. Ltd from Synergy Innovation Co. Ltd.
BP regarding its joint merger with Arclight Capital Partners to acquire Thorntons, a leading privately owned gasoline and convenience store chain with locations in the Midwest and Florida.
Boston Scientific in its US$1.75 billion acquisition of Baylis Medical, which expanded the company's electrophysiology and structural heart product portfolios.
BP in its sale of interests in the Sunrise oil sands to Cenovus Energy and acquisition of Cenovus’s interest in the Bay du Nord project in Eastern Canada - an important step in BP’s plans to create a more focused, resilient and competitive business in Canada.
Walker & Dunlop, a leading real estate finance company, in its acquisition of real estate data analytics firm, GeoPhy.
The Kroger Co. in its US$200+ million acquisition of Home Chef, one of the largest private meal kit delivery companies in the U.S.
BP in its acquisition of AMPLY Power (now renamed BP Pulse), an electric vehicle charging and energy management provider for fleets that operate trucks, transit and school buses, vans and light-duty vehicles.
Intel Corp. in connection with its US$7.68 billion purchase of security software firm McAfee. Transaction cleared in the U.S. by the FTC without a second request and with Phase I commitments in the European Union.
Regional Care Associates, a physician practice of oncology and hematology specialists, in its entry into a strategic relationship with The U.S. Oncology Network, an affiliate of McKesson Corporation.
Capital One, NA, on its acquisition of TripleTree LLC, a leading investment banking advisory platform serving market-leading healthcare companies.
American Securities, a global private equity firm, in the sale of Milk Specialties Global, one of the leading suppliers of protein and other ingredients derived from dairy, to Butterfly Equity, a private equity firm specializing in the food sector.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in its US$640 million joint venture with SK Global Chemicals for the manufacture of high-performance polyethylene products.
Lifeworks, a leading digital and in-person health and wellbeing service provider, in its C$2.9 billion sale to TELUS whose Health division served clients in more than 160 countries and 50 million lives.
Walker & Dunlop in its acquisition of affordable housing alternative investment manager Alliant Capital.
BP in its acquisition of EDF Energy Services, a leading supplier of power, natural gas and related services across the U.S., a transaction key to BP's Net Zero by 2050 initiative.
General Electric Co. and GE Healthcare in the US$1.05 billion sale of its healthcare management software unit to Veritas Capital.
BP in its sale of BP’s interests in the Pike Oil Sands project and certain other assets in the Leismer and Kirby areas of Alberta, Canada, to Canadian Natural Resource Limited.
BP in its U.S. offshore wind strategic partnership with Equinor and the US$1.1 billion acquisition of 50 percent interest in four assets in two wind leases located offshore New York and Massachusetts that together have the potential to generate power for more than two million homes.
Retina Group of Washington in its sale to a private equity portfolio company.
Boston Scientific Corporation in its US$435 million acquisition of Symetis, a Swiss structural heart company focused on minimally-invasive transcatheter aortic valve implantation devices.
General Electric Co. in its US$1.775 billion acquisition of Milestone Aviation Group, a Dublin-based helicopter lessor.
Unilever in connection with its US$3.7 billion acquisition of Alberto Culvers' hair care business investigated by DOJ.
AMC Entertainment, Inc. in its US$172 million acquisition of the Starplex Cinemas.
General Electric Co. and NBC Universal in connection with the formation of the Comcast-NBCU joint venture investigated by DOJ, Federal Communications Commission, and various state attorneys general.

International energy company in a pricing investigation with the New York Attorney General.
Altria in administrative litigation with the FTC regarding its investment in leading e-vapor company Juul Labs and related non-compete agreement, which resulted in a dismissal of all claims by the Administrative Law Judge.
Major energy company in a pricing investigation by the FTC.
AMC Entertainment Inc. in DOJ's investigation of movie exhibitors for potential anticompetitive conduct.
Global component supplier in investigation of competitor contracting practices in Europe and the U.S.

BP in federal litigation brought by the state of California to enjoin the sale of terminals by Plains All American Pipeline to Valero in the San Francisco Bay Area (N.D. Cal).
Intel regarding its settlement of administrative litigation with the FTC.
Reinhart Foodservice in the FTC investigation and subsequent litigation enjoining the proposed US$8.2 billion merger of Sysco and U.S. Foods (D.D.C.).
AMC Entertainment Inc. in the DOJ investigation and subsequent litigation enjoining the proposed US$375 million merger of National CineMedia and Screenvision.
Yamashita Rubber Co. Ltd., a Japanese auto parts manufacturer, in a DOJ antitrust cartel investigation. (N.D. Ohio).
National consulting firm in DOJ criminal antitrust investigation concerning potential bid-rigging activity in connection with government contracts. Established that alleged conduct was not subject to criminal investigation and investigation closed at early stage.

Financial services company in antitrust class action involving allegations of bid-rigging. In re Municipal Derivatives Antitrust Litigation (S.D.N.Y)
Cristal USA Inc. in direct purchaser class action alleging price fixing and collusion based, in part, on participation in trade association statistics program. In re: Titanium Dioxide Antitrust Litigation (D. Md.)
Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. and Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. in direct purchaser class action alleging monopolization based on sham litigation and Walker Process fraud in the enforcement of patents covering an enzyme used in DNA testing. Molecular Diagnostics Labs. v. Hoffman La Roche (D.D.C.)
Oriented strand board manufacturer in direct and indirect purchaser class actions alleging price fixing and coordinated supply reductions. In re: OSB Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Pa.)