Kirkland & Ellis Expands Antitrust Practice with Former Federal Trade Commission Attorney Stephen Mohr

Kirkland & Ellis is pleased to announce that Stephen Mohr, a leading antitrust lawyer and former senior Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorney, has joined the Firm as a partner.

"Steve is a talented lawyer with significant experience reviewing complex transactions and overseeing litigation and investigations during his many years of distinguished service for the FTC," said Jon A. Ballis, chairman of Kirkland's Executive Committee. "He's a great addition to our leading antitrust team and we're thrilled to welcome him to Kirkland."

Prior to joining Kirkland, Mr. Mohr served as assistant director in the FTC's Bureau of Competition, where he led the Mergers I Division overseeing merger investigations and leading major litigations across a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, pharmacies, PBMs, next-generation medical technologies, healthcare advertising, defense, aviation, and consumer, industrial and life sciences products. During his tenure as assistant director, he supervised all aspects of successful federal and administrative court challenges to mergers in the pharmaceutical, life science, advertising and defense industries. Mr. Mohr was also involved in shaping the FTC's merger enforcement program in recent years, including the development and prosecution of several of its most groundbreaking enforcement actions.

"Steve joins Kirkland at a pivotal time as our clients navigate an increasingly nuanced landscape of antitrust review on transactions," said Matt Reilly, antitrust partner at Kirkland. "Continuing to expand our team with exceptional lawyers like Steve ensures we are primed to meet our clients' changing needs with our premier, full-service antitrust offering."

Kirkland ranked number one for M&A deal value in the Dealogic and London Stock Exchange Group year-end league tables, advising on 644 transactions worth more than $400 billion globally in 2023. The firm also handled 19% of all Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notifications filed in 2023, more than any other law firm.

"Kirkland advises on an incredible volume of high-level, transformative transactions and high-stakes antitrust litigation. It's the perfect platform to start the next chapter of my career, and I couldn't be more excited to join the team," said Mr. Mohr.

Mr. Mohr joined the FTC in 2010 and served as a lead attorney, counsel to the director and deputy assistant director before becoming the assistant director of the Mergers I Division. In 2015, he earned the Louis D. Brandeis Award, given annually to a single FTC attorney for outstanding service in litigation. He is also a seven-time recipient of the Janet Steiger Team Award and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2024. Before his government service, he was an associate at another Washington, D.C., law firm and clerked for the Hon. Karen L. Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the Hon. Stephen V. Wilson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Kirkland's antitrust and competition group is among the most active for merger control and complex antitrust litigation matters and has become the premier destination practice for the most challenging cases. The group advises on all aspects of competition law, including the mergers and acquisitions regulatory clearance process, consumer protection matters and antitrust litigation and government investigations.