WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPTEMBER 4, 2024: International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced today that Mark Seidman has joined the Firm as a partner in the Antitrust practice, based in the Washington, D.C. office.

Mark was formerly the head of the Federal Trade Commission’s Mergers IV Division. In that role, he was the lead government enforcer for transactions in the grocery, retail, consumer products and health care services industries, managing a team of approximately 40 attorneys. He also acted as a first-chair trial attorney with extensive stand-up trial experience in FTC merger cases.

“Mark has a sterling reputation as one of the world’s foremost M&A antitrust experts, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Firm,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf. “As a lawyer of extraordinary character and profile, Mark is well-positioned to provide the type of real-world guidance that our clients need to inform their business strategies.”

“Mark is a top-tier antitrust lawyer with an incredible track record handling the most significant antitrust cases in recent years. He will be an outstanding addition to our leading global Antitrust platform,” said David Lender, Co-Chair of Weil’s global Litigation Department. “His first-hand experience as a high-ranking FTC official will prove invaluable to our clients as they seek to navigate the unprecedented increase in global antitrust enforcement.”

“Having worked closely with Mark at the FTC, I have seen how well he has tackled today’s most complex antitrust problems,” said Jeffrey Perry, Co-Head of Weil’s Antitrust practice in the U.S. “We are thrilled to be welcoming someone of his caliber to our Firm. His integration into the practice at Weil will be seamless and his antitrust enforcement experience will be critically important to our global clients.”

Mark has worked closely with regulators around the world and was instrumental in developing FTC policy on merger enforcement, including the recently issued 2023 Merger Guidelines. During his time at the FTC, he served as lead trial counsel in multiple FTC federal court challenges in federal and administrative courts and also served as Counsel to the Director of the Bureau of Competition.

“Weil’s Antitrust group has built an outstanding reputation for handling the most complex and significant merger challenges across global jurisdictions – notching some of the biggest victories for their clients in recent years,” said Mark Seidman. “I look forward to leveraging my regulatory experience to guide the Firm’s clients through this dynamic and uncertain era of antitrust enforcement.”

Weil’s global Antitrust team has successfully represented clients in numerous high-profile engagements, including most recently Meta Platforms in its acquisition of VR studio Within Unlimited and Microsoft in its acquisition of Activision – the largest gaming deal in history and one that drew attention from antitrust regulators across the globe, requiring the navigation of review processes in 17 different jurisdictions.

About Weil’s Antitrust Practice

Weil’s industry-leading global antitrust practice is a go-to destination for complex, cross-border transactions and large-scale, high-stakes litigations and government investigations, including cartels. Our commitment to best-in-class service and the depth of our bench make us the firm of choice for many of the largest companies across the globe on their most significant matters. With our deep experience in handling complex cross-border merger review processes and our position at the forefront of shaping antitrust policy, Weil has been trusted to provide effective global strategic counseling, agency representation and litigation defense for many of the most influential antitrust engagements in recent years.

About Weil

Founded in 1931, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has been a preeminent provider of legal services for more than 90 years. With approximately 1,200 lawyers in offices on three continents, Weil has been a pioneer in the marketplace and a first-mover in the establishment of many significant practice areas. The Firm’s four departments, Corporate, Litigation, Restructuring, and Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits, and more than two dozen practice groups are consistently recognized as leaders in their respective fields.