US: DOJ names new litigator ahead of AA, US Airways case

Following the US Department of Justice’s lawsuit filing against American Airlines and US Airways regarding their proposed merger, the regulator’s antitrust division named its newest head of litigation.

David Gelfand, a partner at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP, was named Wednesday to the position as the regulator gears up for court in the airline merger case. He has previously represented Google in the company’s buyouts of AdMob and DoubleClick.

Gelfand will replace Joseph Wayland, the DOJ’s top litigator who resigned last November. Wayland served in the position for two years and led the blockage of AT&T’s T-Mobile US buyout attempt.

American Airlines parent company AMR Corp. recently announced it is seeking a trial as early as November 12, while the DOJ is looking to wait until next February. In a joint filing, the airlines said that such a late trail would “case serious harm and cannot be justified.”

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