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Squire Patton Boggs Expands Antitrust Team with High-Profile Hires

By  |  November 13, 2024

Squire Patton Boggs has expanded its U.S. antitrust and strategic advisory teams by bringing on Michael Wise, formerly with Paul Hastings, to lead its U.S. antitrust practice. Wise, who joined on November 6, replaces Barry Pupkin, who retired in July. With nearly 14 years of experience in federal competition matters at Paul Hastings, Wise emphasized the increasing complexity of antitrust cases involving international transactions. “Fewer and fewer transactions are limited to the U.S., and more and more transactions have cross-border implications,” he told Bloomberg.

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    Wise’s arrival comes as antitrust attorneys anticipate a shift in regulatory approach under President-elect Donald Trump. Wise predicts that Trump’s administration will likely reduce its focus on Big Tech, broadening its scrutiny across other sectors. “We’re going to see some of that pressure toward the top end of the market lessen, which means they’ll be going after a broader set of antitrust issues,” he explained.

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    During his time at Paul Hastings, Wise represented HydraForce in its sale to Bosch Rexroth and led cross-border antitrust reviews for Francisco Partners’ $6.5 billion acquisition of software firm New Relic. Paul Hastings did not comment on his departure.

    Squire Patton Boggs also recently appointed Anthony Vinci, a former managing director at Cerberus Capital Management and Chief Technology Officer for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as a senior advisor. Vinci, who joined on November 1, will advise on global security and trade issues, especially those involving U.S.-China relations and sanctions on Russia. He previously focused on national security-linked investments at Cerberus and has since left his role there, as well as board positions at Cerberus portfolio companies RapidFlight and Revolution Space.

    These additions mark a strategic move for Squire Patton Boggs as it enhances its regulatory and advisory capacities amid a changing global and regulatory landscape.

    Source: Bloomberg