DOJ Antitrust Chief Rejoins Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett strengthened its antitrust practice this week with the DOJ antitrust chief Joe Wayland returning as partner to the law firm. On Monday, the firm announced the fact on its website, and Pete Ruegger, Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee, said, “We are pleased to welcome Joe back to the Firm and to our outstanding antitrust practice group … Joe’s valuable government experience and achievements will be an asset to our clients and also complement the deep public sector experience of our antitrust team.”

Joe Wayland left Simpson Thacher in 2010 to join the DOJ as its Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Enforcement in the Antitrust Division. In April 2012, he became the acting head of the Antitrust Division. While working at the DOJ, Joe Wayland led policy initiatives against potential patent misuse and competition issues arising from health care consolidation. He also represented the Antitrust division in DOJ in its negotiations with foreign competition authorities including all major agencies in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Joe’s stint at the DOJ also saw him serving as the antitrust division’s chief trial counsel and he led the agency’s trial team to win its first successful litigation challenge in eight years.

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Kevin Arquit, Head of Simpson Thacher’s Antitrust Practice said, “Joe offers a depth of remarkable trial experience, both on behalf of the government and in private practice, which will greatly benefit our clients facing potential challenges to their mergers and acquisitions.”

Before joining Simpson Thacher in 1988, Wayland had served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Columbia Law School. Speaking on his return to Simpson Thacher, Wayland said, “I am happy to once again be a part of Simpson Thacher’s highly-regarded antitrust team … The opportunity to serve the government in a senior capacity provided me with unparalleled opportunities and a wealth of knowledge that I hope will serve our clients well as they face new and evolving enforcement and consumer protection initiatives.”

Posted by Scott on November 20, 2012. Filed under Law Firm News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.