Sullivan & Cromwell Names New Antitrust Co-Head

Shores, previously a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, will help lead Sullivan & Cromwell’s antitrust group alongside Renata Hesse, according to an Oct. 29 announcement by the firm. The appointment brings a lawyer with experience defending companies against federal antitrust enforcement actions and private litigation.

Before returning to private practice in 2021, Shores served as associate deputy attorney general and senior adviser for technology industries at the Justice Department. In those positions, he supervised antitrust reviews involving major online platforms, giving him experience with government scrutiny of large technology companies, according to his biography published by Sullivan & Cromwell.

His arrival adds both government and private-sector experience to the firm’s competition practice, which advises multinational businesses on regulatory investigations, corporate transactions and antitrust lawsuits.

Shores has represented companies in merger challenges brought by the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and private litigants. His work has also included defending businesses accused of anticompetitive conduct, including price coordination, monopolization, restrictions on competitors and exclusive commercial arrangements, according to Sullivan & Cromwell.

Among his previous assignments were antitrust matters involving JetBlue Airways’ proposed combination with Spirit Airlines, Capital One’s $35 billion acquisition of Discover Financial Services and Tempur Sealy’s proposed acquisition of Mattress Firm, according to the firm’s published biography. Those representations occurred before his move to Sullivan & Cromwell.

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Related: Sullivan & Cromwell Strengthens Antitrust Practice with Addition of Carla Hine

Sullivan & Cromwell co-chairs Robert Giuffra and Scott Miller said in the firm’s announcement that Shores’ litigation background and experience in government would enhance its ability to represent clients facing difficult competition-law issues.

Hesse, the firm’s existing antitrust co-head, also welcomed the appointment, emphasizing Shores’ familiarity with enforcement agencies and his record in major antitrust disputes.

The hiring comes as Sullivan & Cromwell continues to develop a practice serving clients across technology, financial services, aviation, energy, manufacturing and defense. Its antitrust lawyers handle merger approvals, government investigations and litigation in the United States and internationally, according to the firm’s website.

Shores’ experience includes advising on multibillion-dollar transactions and defending companies in disputes involving alleged restrictions on market competition. His previous clients and matters have spanned credit cards, online marketplaces, medical devices, airlines and government contracting.

In a statement accompanying the appointment, Shores cited Sullivan & Cromwell’s international reach and experience across industries as factors in his decision to join the firm.

Shores earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and previously clerked for former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. He has also been recognized by Chambers USA for his work in antitrust law, according to Sullivan & Cromwell.

Source: Sullcrom