Sidley Austin LLP announced today that William Blumenthal, a former General Counsel of the Federal Trade Commission, and Kenneth L. Glazer, a former Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission, will be joining Sidley as partners in the Washington, D.C. office. Karen Kazmerzak, formerly an attorney with the Bureau of Competition, also will be joining the firm as counsel.
“We are very enthusiastic about having two such successful and highly regarded antitrust practitioners join us as partners,” said Mark Hopson, Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office. “Their government experience and their depth of expertise – as well as their proven track record of client service – positions them well to add great value to the representation of our clients. They will provide immediate strength to our antitrust agency practice, particularly with respect to pre-merger clearance, while complementing our already prominent global competition enforcement and litigation practices.”
Mr. Blumenthal has a distinguished reputation as an expert in antitrust and competition law. He has advised clients on all aspects of antitrust law, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and pricing and distribution practices. As General Counsel of the Federal Trade Commission, he advised the Commission, its members, and its staff on law and policy, represented the agency in federal and state courts, and represented the United States government in ongoing discussions with senior competition regulators throughout the world, including China, Japan, Korea, and India.
Mr. Glazer is a prominent antitrust practitioner who is well known both for his substantive expertise and for the client-focused perspective he brings to his practice. He has represented clients in many different industries before the Federal Trade Commission, the United States Department of Justice, and foreign antitrust agencies on merger and non-merger matters. In his three years as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition he oversaw challenges to multi-billion dollar acquisitions, as well as merger and non-merger investigations in numerous industries. Before joining the Federal Trade Commission, Mr. Glazer was the Senior Competition Counsel for The Coca-Cola Company.
Ms. Kazmerzak, a former staff attorney in the FTC’s Bureau of Competition who focused on complex merger investigations, will bring additional expertise and resources in pre-merger clearance before both the FTC and DOJ. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Kazmerzak was a post-baccalaureate fellow at the National Institutes of Health and a research associate at The National Academies’ Institute of Medicine.
“I could not find a better fit than Sidley, with its reputation for excellence in antitrust and related practices, including M&A, intellectual property, and health care,” said Mr. Glazer. “I am excited about joining my Sidley colleagues and serving both my clients and those of the firm.”
“I was drawn to Sidley by the caliber of its lawyers and the breadth of its antitrust practice,” said Mr. Blumenthal. “The firm’s global platform and the strength of its practice in Europe and Asia will be of enormous value to the clients whom I serve.”
Both Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Glazer have spoken and written extensively on antitrust issues and have been active in the ABA Antitrust Section. Mr. Blumenthal has served as the Vice Chair of the Section, its International Officer, and the Chair of its Mergers and Acquisitions Committee. Mr. Glazer has served as a Council Member, the Chair of the Section’s Unilateral Conduct Committee, Senior Editor of the ABA’s Antitrust Law Journal, and is currently the International Officer. Ms. Kazmerzak is Vice Chair of the Section’s Transportation and Energy Industries Committee.
“Bill’s extensive experience on global enforcement and non-U.S. competition law, and Ken’s wide-ranging experience as a litigator and advocate on pre-merger clearance matters will bring a new dynamic to our robust antitrust practice group and our global profile,” said John W. Treece, global coordinator of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Practice.
