HSF Kramer has bolstered its Washington DC antitrust group with a senior hire from the US Department of Justice.
John Elias (pictured), a deputy assistant attorney general in the Antitrust Division, is making the move to private practice after nearly two decades at the DOJ, bringing with him expertise in the full spectrum of antitrust matters.
HSF Kramer US executive partner Paul Schoeman cited growing client demand for antitrust expertise, both domestically and internationally, adding: ‘John’s experience at the DOJ litigating critical antitrust matters and shaping the agency’s policies will be a tremendous asset to clients as they navigate an increasingly challenging regulatory environment.’
The hire brings the Washington DC office’s partner headcount to four, according to the firm’s website, and follows the hire of Burr Eckstut from White & Case, who joined the New York office last month as head of US technology transactions.
The move is the latest in a DC antitrust market that has been busy of late, with major recent moves including Paul Weiss’s hire of a three-partner team from A&O Shearman, led by global antitrust head David Higbee and including partners Ben Gris and Djordje Petkoski.
In another move in the practice area, Latham & Watkins antitrust partner Makan Delrahim has left the firm to become chief legal officer at Paramount Skydance Corporation, the media company formed after Skydance completed its acquisition of Paramount in August.
Delrahim joined Latham in April 2022, and previously served as an assistant attorney general in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, from September 2017 to the change of administration in January 2021.
He will step into his role on 6 October, replacing general counsel and acting chief legal officer Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, who will continue as GC.
The hire comes after Latham represented Skydance Media on its acquisition of Paramount.
‘We thank Makan for his many contributions to our firm and to our clients, including Paramount Skydance’, a Latham spokesperson said. ‘We wish him all the best and look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role.’
Also in the US capital, Arnold & Porter has hired Bree Raum as a senior policy advisor in its legislative and public policy practice. Raum has more than 25 years’ experience engaging with Congress and federal agencies on energy, environment, and energy transition matters, and joins from industrial gas and chemicals supplier Air Products, where she most recently served as executive director, government affairs for the Americas.
Elsewhere, Brown Rudnick litigation and dispute resolution practice group co-chairs Michael Bowe and Lauren Tabaksblat have left the firm to establish litigation boutique Brithem. The duo joined Brown Rudnick in 2020 from US national firm Kasowitz, and have experience in disputes ranging from short-selling to civil rights.
Tabaksblat said in a statement: ‘Brithem is devoted to the art of trial lawyering and using that art to make a difference. Our name is not on the door because the firm is about our clients, not us. Our first love is being courtroom advocates who deliver results for clients and make a difference.’
Also joining the firm are Quinn associates Valerie Ramos and Andrew Sutton, who join as partners, as well as former Supreme Court clerk Joseph Masterman as of counsel, and a clutch of other personnel, for a total headcount of 13 legal professionals. The firm aims to have at least 20 lawyers in Q1 of 2026.
Bowe commented: ‘Big Law is drunk on leverage and billables that deliver little bang for the buck. Smart consumers of legal services know better, want an alternative, and love supporting a firm that is also heavily committed to combating child abuse, human trafficking, discrimination, and other injustices.
‘The AI revolution will only augment our proven ability to take on big fights leanly. Today, big is not better. It’s just unnecessarily more expensive.’
Elsewhere, Orrick has officially confirmed the full details of the large collateralised loan obligations (CLO) team it has hired into multiple offices across the UK and the US. The team comprises 37 lawyers in total, including partners Mike Gonzales in Washington DC and Doug Arborlo in Charlotte, in addition to the eight partners previously reported. The Charlotte hires will see the firm open a new office in the city.
Orrick chair Mitch Zuklie said in a statement: ‘The addition of this world-class team positions our firm uniquely to advise our private credit and banking clients as they innovate on private debt solutions. It advances multiple strategic priorities, including growing our London office and scaling our finance practice with a team of remarkable quality.’
He continued: ‘We are truly excited to enter the Charlotte market, long a centre of financial innovation and home to many valued clients. We look forward to collaborating with this team to continue to build around our shared vision of the future of the debt finance market. We will look back on this move as a game-changer for our clients and our firm.’
