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Private Firms Recruit More DOJ Antitrust Lawyers Amid Continued Departures

By  |  May 28, 2026
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Private law firms are continuing to recruit attorneys from the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division as the agency experiences a wave of departures during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to Reuters.

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    The exits have accelerated since the February resignation of Gail Slater, Trump’s choice to lead the DOJ antitrust division. Her deputy, Mark Hamer, also departed earlier and returned to Baker McKenzie. Since then, at least six additional attorneys have left the division, strengthening the antitrust practices at firms including O’Melveny & Myers, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and Winston & Strawn, according to Reuters.

    The antitrust division is currently being overseen by Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi. Reuters reported in April that the Trump administration is considering Michael Murray, co-chair of the antitrust and competition practice at Paul Hastings, to permanently lead the division.

    The latest departure became public on Wednesday when litigation boutique Sher Tremonte announced it had hired Catherine Dick, formerly the antitrust division’s litigation director, as a partner in its Washington office. Dick had worked on several major antitrust cases during her tenure at the DOJ, including matters involving Apple, Google, Live Nation, and RealPage.

    Dick said her decision to leave the department was not connected to Slater’s resignation. She also declined to comment on the broader pattern of exits from the division. Instead, she cited a desire to expand the scope of her legal work after years in government service.

    “At a litigation boutique, I don’t have to be a partner focused on one area,” she said.

    A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The recent turnover follows earlier tensions within the division. Reuters and other news organizations reported last July that two deputies working under Slater were dismissed for insubordination after she resisted directives to settle a case involving Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s proposed $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. The dispute drew attention to disagreements over the agency’s enforcement priorities, according to Reuters.

    The broader Justice Department has also experienced significant attrition in recent years. More than 10,000 employees, including attorneys and other staff members, left the department over the past two years, according to data released in March by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Per Reuters, the federal government overall lost nearly 8,600 lawyers between Trump’s inauguration and November 2025.

    Source: Reuters