Google Hires Former DOJ Employees To Face Antitrust Cases

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has bolstered its legal team with former Department of Justice employees to combat the two antitrust lawsuits brought by the agency against it, CNBC reported.

Businesses often hire attorneys with a government background and it has been suggested by experts that this kind of method has plenty of advantages. Coming from their former colleagues, ex-government lawyers can offer valuable insight that is hard to come by anywhere else.

Google also uses four different outside counsel firms loaded with nearly 20 former DOJ officials, many of whom worked in the antitrust division at various times.

Related: DOJ Opposes Google’s Attempt To Move Ad Antitrust Case To New York

“When companies find themselves under intense scrutiny from regulatory authorities, antitrust law or otherwise, they make moves like this,” said Bill Kovacic, a former Federal Trade Commission chair who now teaches antitrust law at George Washington University.

Google is facing a variety of antitrust challenges from the Department of Justice, state attorneys general, and other international regulators. These challenges target both its search engine and its advertising technology businesses. As expectations for compliance increase, Google must continually update their policies and practices to ensure they remain in compliance with applicable laws.