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 US 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, investigating and analyzing combinations in the retail, healthcare, and funeral home industries. Among other assignments, he led investigations into the mergers of healthcare providers and played an integral role in the trial teams that successfully challenged several high profile mergers. While at the FTC, he also participated in a staff exchange with Canada's Competition Bureau, where he worked as a Competition Law Officer in the Competition Bureau's Mergers Branch.
Experience
- Pfizer in numerous transactions, including its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen Inc. and its $6.7 billion acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb in numerous transactions, including its $90 billion acquisition of Celgene, its $14 billion acquisition of Karuna Therapeutics, and its $4.1 billion acquisition of Turning Point Therapeutics.
- Sony in its $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 $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 $2 billion sale to Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc.
- AT&T Inc. in its successful $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 $10.5 billion acquisition of BHP's U.S. shale oil and gas assets and its $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 $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 $5.6 billion sale of its appliances business to Qingdao Haier Co. Ltd.
Perspectives
Recognition
"Ones to Watch" — Litigation: Antitrust (DC) (2022-2024)
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 Media & Technology Committee (2021–2024)
- Associate Editor, ABA Section of Antitrust Law Media & Technology Committee’s e-Bulletin
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Young Lawyer Representative, Agriculture & Food Committee, ABA Section of Antitrust Law (2014–2015)