David Gelfand, until recently the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Litigation of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, will return to the Firm as a partner in July.
He will be based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office and will focus on global antitrust, litigation, and regulatory matters.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dave back to the Firm. Dave was a terrific professional and personal colleague before he left the Firm for the DOJ in 2013. His accomplishments and experience at the Department of Justice have only added to the depth of his experience and expertise and will be invaluable to our clients,” said Mark Leddy. “Cleary is a leading advisor to major corporations around the world on complex antitrust matters, and Dave’s return will add to our already formidable depth and breadth in this important area of the Firm’s international practice.”
Dave joined the Antitrust Division in August 2013. During his government service, he oversaw the Division’s litigation efforts and worked collaboratively with the Division staff on litigation matters across a wide range of industries, including aviation, health care, technology, cable and broadband, consumer products, and oilfield services. Dave directed the Department’s successful litigation to block the sale of GE’s appliance business to Electrolux and led the litigation team in the DOJ’s challenge to the Halliburton/Baker Hughes transaction that was abandoned after the DOJ filed its lawsuit.
“I went to the Department of Justice because I am passionate about public service,” said Dave. “My time at the Department has been inspiring and enriching. I’m deeply honored and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the talented and dedicated professionals in the Antitrust Division and throughout the Department. I’m now looking forward to rejoining my former partners and friends at Cleary and to embarking on the next phase of my career. Cleary provides an exceptional platform for advising clients in the most challenging and important antitrust matters in the U.S. and around the world. It is also a wonderfully collegial place to work.”
Before joining the Department of Justice, Dave was based in Cleary’s Washington, D.C., office where he advised numerous U.S. and international clients on landmark transactions and high-stakes litigations. He joined the Firm as an associate in 1991 and became a partner in 1997. From 2001 to 2004, he was resident in the Firm’s Brussels office where he handled matters before the European Commission and before national competition authorities throughout Europe.
Read “DOJ’s Gelfand Helped Boost Antitrust Trial Readiness” from Law360 here.