Paolo Morante

Partner

About

Paolo Morante's practice focuses on antitrust and trade regulation law.

Paolo represents clients in commercial litigation in federal and state courts, US and international transactions, and regulatory matters before the US Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and offices of the attorneys general of several states.

Paolo has substantial experience in matters relating to US and international merger enforcement, including regulatory review of complex cross-border transactions and compliance with the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations Mergers and Acquisitions Regulatory and Government Affairs Antitrust and Competition

Bar admissionsDistrict of ColumbiaNew York

EXPERIENCE

Paolo regularly represents clients as antitrust counsel in merger enforcement proceedings before the US antitrust agencies. Significant recent merger enforcement and civil antitrust investigation engagements include:

Medtronic kidney health joint venture with DaVita
MesaBiotech acquisition by ThermoFisher
Danone acquisition of Follow Your Heart
MKS acquisition of Atotech
Swarm Technologies sale to SpacEx
CareMmax acquisition of Steward
Imperfect Foods acquisition by Misfits Market
SeaSpine acquisition by Orthofix
Medtronic acquisition of Medicrea International
Synergy Health plc merger with STERIS Corporation
CAE Inc. in acquisition of Bombardier flight-training assets
HCL Technologies acquisition of assets from IBM
First Solar sale of O&M Services business to NovaSource
TrendKite acquisition by Cision
Dunbar Armored acquisition by Brink's
Verifi acquisition by Visa
Takeda acquisition of TiGenix
Server Technology acquisition by Legrand S.A.
Maxwell Technologies acquisition by Tesla
Emergent Biosolutions acquisition of smallpox vaccine from Sanofi
Vision Ease sale to Hoya Corporation
John Menzies acquisition of BBA Aviation
Polynt in merger with Reichhold
QUALCOMM acquisition of EPCOS
INEOS acquisition of Calabrian Corporation
Xchanging plc sale to Computer Sciences Corporation
Exelon acquisition of ConEd retail energy business
DTS Sale to Tessera Technologies
Owens Corning acquisition of InterWrap
Ovivo sale to Skion Water International
QUALCOMM acquisitions of Emu and Capstone
Vertellus sale to Black Diamond
Blackhawk acquisition of GiftCards.com
MediaOcean sale to Vista Equity Partners
EagleView Technology Corporation sale to Vista Equity Partners
InterContinental Hotels Group acquisition of Kimpton Hotels
Emergent BioSolutions acquisition of Cangene Corporation
EdgeCast Networks acquisition by Verizon
OptiMedica sale to Abbott Laboratories
Orchard Supply sale to Lowe's
BioFire Diagnostics sale to Biomérieux S.A.
Convio, Inc. merger with Blackbaud, Inc.
Hypercom Corporation merger with VeriFone Systems, Inc.
PopCap Games acquisition by Electronic Arts
Qualcomm sale of spectrum assets to AT&T
Radiant Systems acquisition by NCR
Applied Signal Technology acquisition by Raytheon
Life Technologies Corporation sale of mass spectrometry joint venture to Danaher Corporation
JDA Software Group acquisition of i2 Technologies
The Hain Celestial Group acquisition of Gourmet Marketing
ZeniMax acquisition of id Software
Chesapeake Sciences Corporation acquisition by L3 Communications
Invitrogen (nka Life Technologies) acquisition of Applied Biosystems
JDA Software acquisition of Manugistics
Swedish Match acquisition of Cigars International and formation of a joint venture with Scandinavian Tobacco
Aggregate Industries acquisition by Holcim
Cross Match acquisition by Smiths Group

Significant antitrust litigation engagements include:

In re A2P SMS Antitrust Litigation Defense of an SMS messaging aggregator in private class action alleging price-fixing and concerted boycott conspiracy in connection with application-to-person SMS transmissions
In re Optical Disk Drive Products Antitrust Litigation Defense of an optical disk drive supplier in private class actions alleging price-fixing conspiracies in violation of the Sherman Act
In re Linerboard Antitrust Litigation Represented a major US poultry processor in multi-district litigation alleging price-fixing and output restrictions among major US linerboard producers
In re Methionine Antitrust Litigation Obtained substantial recovery for a major US poultry processor in multi-district litigation alleging an international price-fixing conspiracy among feed additives suppliers
In re Vitamins Antitrust Litigation Advised a major US poultry processor in a complex class action alleging price-fixing among suppliers of vitamins and obtained reduction in class counsel fees as a percentage of the client's recovery
Avitech, LLC v. Embrex, Inc. Successfully defended a patentee against monopolization counterclaims in a patent dispute. Counterclaims were dismissed
East Side Vend Distributors v. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., et al. Represented a major US bottling company in defending a price discrimination lawsuit brought by a regional distributor
Kelley v. Thompson McCully Co., et al. Successfully defended a multinational construction materials supplier against a private lawsuit alleging price-fixing and market allocation agreements

Languages

Education

J.D., Harvard Law School 1997
cum laude

B.A., Stanford University 1987
with distinction

Awards

Legal 500 US recognizes Paolo for his antitrust practice.

Insight Overview

Paolo is a co-author of the Maryland chapter of State Antitrust Practice and Statutes (Fourth Ed.) (ABA 2009), of the United States chapter of Cartel Enforcement Worldwide (Cameron May 2011) and has been a guest lecturer in antitrust law at the University of Maryland School of Law.

Bylines

US Antitrust enforcers issue joint statement on competitor collaboration amid COVID-19 pandemic, March 27, 2020
US Antitrust enforcers issue joint statement on competitor collaboration amid COVID-19 pandemic, March 27, 2020
Antitrust enforcement continues amid coronavirus, but with important changes (United States), March 20, 2020
FTC announces annual revisions to HSR Act thresholds, January 28, 2020
Antitrust Matters - July 2018

Clerk Experience