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Keystone Launches Washington Antitrust Practice With 2 Former DOJ Officials

 |  July 30, 2026
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Consulting firm Keystone has opened a Washington office anchored by antitrust economists Malika Krishna and Brian Clark, expanding its competition practice with two former senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.

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    According to a report published by Citybiz, the firm said Krishna will serve as a founding partner in the Washington office, while Clark joins as a partner and senior leader in the firm’s antitrust and competition practice.

    Citybiz reported that Krishna most recently served as acting assistant chief in the Economic Regulatory and Economic Policy sections of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, where she oversaw economic analysis in merger and conduct investigations. The publication said she also helped manage teams of economists, statisticians and data scientists and worked on the federal government’s 2023 Merger Guidelines revision.

    Clark previously served as an assistant chief in the Justice Department’s Economic Analysis Group after working as an economist at the Federal Trade Commission, according to Citybiz. The publication reported that he played leading economic roles in several high-profile antitrust matters, including the Justice Department’s monopolization case against Apple and the government’s challenge to the Visa-Plaid merger.

    According to Citybiz, Keystone said the hires coincide with the launch of its Washington, D.C., antitrust practice and are intended to strengthen the firm’s ability to advise clients on merger reviews, competition matters and litigation support.

    Citybiz reported that Krishna specializes in merger analysis, competition economics and empirical analysis across industries including technology, telecommunications, software and health care. Clark’s experience includes economic analysis involving digital platforms, payment networks, biotechnology, retail and other sectors, the publication said.

    The new office expands Keystone’s presence in the nation’s capital, where the firm said it plans to serve clients facing increasingly complex antitrust and competition issues, according to Citybiz.

    In statements reported by Citybiz, Keystone executives said the additions reinforce the firm’s investment in antitrust and competition services by bringing together professionals with experience in government enforcement, economic analysis and expert testimony.

    The appointments follow Keystone’s broader expansion of its economics and antitrust offerings in recent years, according to information published by the company.

    Source: Citybiz