Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, LAW FIRM NEWS: Firms add new antitrust lawyers, announce recognitions, (May 29, 2025)

By WK Editorial Staff

Attorneys at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP were recognized for their $167 million victory for WhatsApp and Meta.

Attorney hirings and recognitions have been announced by several firms with antitrust practices. Notably, Merrick B. Garland, former U.S. Attorney General and Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit returned as a partner to Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP.

New hires. Arnold & Porter announced that Merrick B. Garland has re-joined the firm as a partner in its Appellate & Supreme Court practice group. During his time at Arnold & Porter, Garland’s practice involved civil and criminal litigation, antitrust, and administrative law. Prior to his service on the federal bench, Garland had a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Justice. He also taught antitrust at Harvard Law School and published law review articles on antitrust and administrative law.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP announced the addition of Matthew Regan as a partner in its Chicago-based Litigation Group. Regan joined Skadden from another global law firm, where he focused on representing plaintiffs and defendants in a range of commercial litigation matters before state and federal courts. Regan holds a deep background in cases involving antitrust and trade regulation, as well as other complex commercial issues.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP (BCLP) announced the addition of Justin Kingsolver as a partner in its Litigation & Investigations Department and the Antitrust, Competition & Trade Practice Group, based in Phoenix, Arizona, and Washington, D.C. Kingsolver focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, with particular strength in antitrust and health care matters and has represented many of the nation’s most prominent companies in high-stakes and high-dollar disputes before federal and state courts and arbitration panels. Before entering private practice, Kingsolver worked in national politics and at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

McDermott Will & Emery announced the addition of Omar Shah as a partner in its London-based Regulatory Practice Group. Shah brings extensive experience handling complex global merger control transactions, cartel investigations, and antitrust litigation—particularly litigation involving the intersection of competition law with intellectual property, media/communications, pharmaceutical, transport, financial services, and data privacy regulations in the United Kingdom and European Union.

Latham & Watkins LLP announced the addition of Alfonso Lamadrid to its Brussels office as a partner in the Antitrust & Competition Practice and as a member of the Litigation & Trial Department. Lamadrid is a known thought leader in the field of antitrust law and has represented companies in high-profile competition law cases in the European Union. Global Competition Review recently recognized Lamadrid as Litigator of the Year, worldwide.

Geradin Partners announced the addition of Jennifer Reeves as a partner in its London office. Reeves has significant experience in competition litigation, commercial disputes, and public law matters. She has particular expertise in representing clients in complex competition litigation, including collective actions, cartel damages claims, and regulatory appeals before UK courts. Reeves is a former référendaire of the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal and was closely involved in the introduction of collective proceedings in 2015.

Recognition. The trial team at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP has been honored by AmLaw Litigation Daily’s “Litigators of the Week” for securing a victory at trial for Meta and WhatsApp and a jury verdict ordering NSO Group to pay more than $167 million for its 2019 spyware attack targeting WhatsApp. The six-day jury trial included groundbreaking testimony from NSO Group executives, who admitted they used WhatsApp to install spyware on the mobile devices of up to tens of thousands of individuals and continued to use WhatsApp to install spyware even after WhatsApp and Meta filed their complaint. The jury found NSO Group acted with malice, oppression, or fraud in violating the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act.

Attorneys: Merrick B. Garland (Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP); Matthew Regan (Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP); Justin Kingsolver (Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP); Omar Shah (McDermott Will & Emery); Alfonso Lamadrid (Latham & Watkins LLP); Jennifer Reeves (Geradin Partners); Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

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