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We recently attended the ABA Section of Antitrust Law Spring Meeting 2017 which was a first for our network. One of the largest gatherings for the American Bar Association, this meeting’s participants represent some of the highest caliber minds in the legal profession. Hailing from the biggest U.S. firms, government agencies, international tribunals, and corporations this collection of professionals harbors the power and influence to shape world economies in their daily work.
The professional milieu was what one might expect from the top echelons of practice. Everyone was well-spoken, impeccably put together, and very engaging. But what you might not expect from this grouping of titans is a welcoming environment where the even the most inexperienced “greenhorn” has access to the most powerful individuals in the field. You see, for those in the antitrust world of legal practice, Spring Meeting is their Super Bowl.
Who’s who of #ATSpring17 with co-chairs Margaret Ward of @JonesDay & Paul Friedman of @dechertllp, hosted by Adam Biegel of @AlstonBirdLLP. pic.twitter.com/gpWS0fXYzc
— Laurence Colletti (@LaurenceEsq) March 29, 2017
The meeting is huge and it has been growing over the decades. 2017’s gathering was held at the Marriott Marquis Washington DC with its amazing backdrop of natural lighting and large open spaces. The topics discussed were vast and the speakers top notch. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from and talk to representatives from the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Reserve Board, Office of the Attorney General from various states, US District Court judges, top U.S. law firms, and corporations such as Unilever, Twitter, Walgreens, United Airlines, General Electric, Google, Intel, and Qualcomm. As if that were not enough, their Section Dinner featured a conversation with retired four-star Army General, Commander of U.S. Central Command, and Director of Central Intelligence David Petraeus.
Despite the vast array of preeminent speakers and over 65 sessions and events, ABA Section of Antitrust Law somehow manages to fit its Spring Meeting into three days. To hear what transpired during this year’s meeting, please tune into our 14 episode audio coverage with our list of interview participants below:
In this Special Report, host Jodie Williams discusses issues pertinent to women who practice antitrust law with Tiana Russell, Kristen Anderson, and Lisa Phelan. Together, they discuss increasing office diversity, government opportunities for women, and how the new administration will impact women in antitrust.
In this Special Report, host Laurence Colletti talks to Joseph Alioto, owner of Alioto Law Firm, about the importance of antitrust laws and why young lawyers should get into the field. In addition, they also discuss the most rewarding aspects of Joseph’s job and share some of his stand-out cases.
In this Special Report, host Cale Johnson interviews Patricia Conners about her experience in consumer protection and how it compares to her antitrust career. In addition, they discuss future consumer protection trends and advice for young lawyers who want to transition into a government position.
In this Special Report, host Adam Biegel sits down with Jon Jacobson, the incoming Section chair, to talk about upcoming programing opportunities and the task forces that he’s initiating which will deal with public interest considerations in antitrust law and divergent forms of unilateral conduct analysis between the U.S. and other countries. In addition, Jon lists ways that young lawyers can get involved in the Section of Antitrust Law, including assisting with writing articles for Section periodicals and organizing programs.
In this Special Report, host Adam Biegel talks with ABA Section of Antitrust Law Spring Meeting co-chairs Paul Friedman and Margaret Ward. Together, they discuss the attendance of antitrust professionals and enforcers from all over the world, how the meeting is planned, and what the numerous sessions have to offer attorneys at all stages of their careers.
In this Special Report, host January Kim talks to the in-house antitrust lawyers Gary Zanfagna of Honeywell, Brian Henry of Coca-Cola, Rich Wallis of Microsoft, and Paula Martucci of Wal-Mart about the difference between private and in-house practices. In addition, they discuss the skills are needed for in-house lawyers, the most enjoyable aspects about their positions, and how their ABA Antitrust Section leadership positions have helped their careers.
In this Special Report, host Melanie Hallas talks to John Villafranco about his experience in advertising law, the ins and outs thereof, his most interesting cases, and what’s currently going on with consumer protection. In addition, they discuss ways that young lawyers can get involved in advertising law, including joining committees to stay up to speed on current programing.
In this Special Report, host Nathaniel Giddings talks with Alston & Bird LLP partner Leslie Overton about why new lawyers should practice antitrust, challenges to that field, and why mergers and merger reviews are so important to the U.S. economy.
In this Special Report, host Hilla Shimshoni talks to Scott Martin about his switch from defense to plaintiff work and how the new administration will affect the future of the plaintiffs’ antitrust bar. In addition, they discuss the successful mock trial that took place at the Spring Meeting and how that is a vital opportunity for young lawyers to experience court in a hands-on way. Finally, they conclude the episode by sharing Scott’s excitement for the ABA’s first Global Private Litigation Conference, which will feature “insights into the continuing path of multi-jurisdictional and collective antitrust redress.”
In this Special Report, host Melanie Hallas discusses “dawn raids” with Douglas Tween and James Mutchnik. Together, they discuss what’s at stake in these relatively rare law enforcement actions as well as why it’s important for clients to have a search warrant response protocol so they can act quickly during the first 48 hours in which cases are often won and lost.
In this Special Report, host Stephen Calkins talks to Lewis Goldfarb about the Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar case, why it’s significant, and the circumstances that caused a lawyer to bring a class action against other lawyers.
In this Special Report, host Laura Collins talks to Mariana Tavares, Miguel Flores Bernes, and Russ Damtoft, co-chairs of this year’s Antitrust in the Americas Conference, about antitrust in Latin America, what topics the conference will cover, and what makes their conference unique. In addition, they discuss compliance issues, cartel enforcement, and communication between jurisdictions.
In this Special Report, host Cale Johnson talks to Deon Woods Bell and Laureen Kapin about their experiences with both the FTC and ABA Section of Antitrust Law. In addition, they discuss what got them interested in the international aspects of their positions, the hottest topics in international privacy, what they’re doing to bring more international colleagues into the ABA, and advice for those looking to get involved with the FTC.
List of Interview Participants (in Alphabetical Order):
All set up for our day 3 coverage of @abaantitrust‘s 65th Spring Meeting. #atspring17. 🗣🎙 pic.twitter.com/1MzsruOboN
— Legal Talk Network (@LegalTalkNet) March 31, 2017
After receiving his J.D. and MBA, Laurence Colletti went into solo practice with emphasis in general business and commercial real estate. He has always carried a strong passion for web-based media with a particular interest in podcasting and video. Laurence leverages his legal background against that passion to help bring sophisticated, relevant content to Legal Talk Network podcasts. You can follow Laurence on Twitter at @LaurenceEsq.
