Fried Frank Nabs Antitrust Prosecutor From DOJ

Powers spent the majority of his career at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, including serving as the Acting Assistant Attorney General from February to November 2021, where he led antitrust enforcement for the DOJ during the first year of the Biden administration, overseeing all civil and criminal enforcement actions and significant policy and appellate decisions. Powers joins Fried Frank with more than a decade of federal government experience investigating and prosecuting antitrust and fraud cases.  

“We are delighted to welcome Richard to the firm,” said David J. Greenwald, the chairman of Fried Frank. “As the demand for antitrust and regulatory expertise grows, Richard’s distinctive experience bridging both antitrust and litigation work from within the DOJ will further enhance our preeminent practices, particularly with his notable strengths in cartel work.”

During his time at the Department of Justice, Powers oversaw the work of more than 100 prosecutors across the country, supervised numerous complex enforcement actions, and developed and implemented criminal antitrust enforcement policies for the DOJ. He also prosecuted cartel and fraud cases in the financial services industry, including bid rigging in the municipal bonds industry and various offenses related to the manipulation of the LIBOR, for which he received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award.

“Following in the footsteps of our assemblage of recent high-profile white collar prosecutor hires from government, Richard’s arrival marks another strong addition to the firm’s growing Litigation Department and adds a new layer to our existing antitrust strengths,” said James D. Wareham, the global chair of Fried Frank’s Litigation Department.

“Richard is the highest-ranking lawyer to come out of the Biden administration’s Antitrust Division, and we are thrilled that he is joining Fried Frank,” said the chair of the firm’s Global Antitrust and Competition Department, Bernard (“Barry”) A. Nigro Jr. “His decade of experience at the DOJ will help guide our clients through an increasingly complex and critical time in the world of antitrust. We very much look forward to welcoming him to the firm.” Nigro himself has been quoted by clients in the Legal 500 as having “the rare combination of DOJ and FTC expertise that is invaluable to clients who need to understand the agencies’ latest thinking.”

Powers received his JD, cum laude, from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he was an editor for the Alabama Law Review, and his BS from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Powers spent five years on active duty in the US Army as an infantry officer and received the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. 

“After a long career in public service, I am excited to join Fried Frank to help serve its impressive roster of clients,” added Powers. “I look forward to working alongside this brilliant group of attorneys and adding depth to the firm’s antitrust litigation and cartel defense capabilities.” 

Fried Frank’s Antitrust Litigation Practice has broad experience in successfully handling antitrust-related trial, arbitration, and appellate litigation for a host of US and non-US-based clients. It combines the specialized knowledge and experience of its antitrust lawyers with the skills and experience of its litigators to provide clients with superior representation in multifaceted bet-the-company litigation. 

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