Elaine Ewing’s practice focuses on all areas of antitrust law, including merger reviews by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, and foreign authorities; civil antitrust litigation; criminal and civil antitrust investigations; and antitrust counseling.
She frequently lectures and writes about antitrust issues.
Elaine joined the firm in 2007 and became a partner in 2016.
Notable Experience
Merger Clearance
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Google in several transactions, including its $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit, its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, its subsequent sale of Motorola Mobility’s mobile devices business to Lenovo, and its previous acquisition of Admeld.
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The Dow Chemical Company in its $130 billion merger of equals with DuPont, one of the largest and most complex international antitrust transactions ever completed; in its $5 billion agreement to separate a significant portion of its chlorine value chain and merge that new entity with Olin Corporation; and in its previous $18.8 billion acquisition of Rohm and Haas.
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Thales in its €4.6 billion offer for Gemalto.
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LATAM Airlines Group in its $1.9 billion strategic partnership with Delta.
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Air Liquide in its $13.4 billion acquisition of Airgas, which created the world’s largest supplier of industrial gases.
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Abbott Laboratories in its $25 billion acquisition of St. Jude Medical.
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Commercial Metals Company in its $600 million acquisition of 33 U.S. rebar fabrication facilities and four steel mills from Gerdau S.A. The transaction combined two of the three largest rebar producers in the U.S.
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The Coca-Cola Company in numerous transactions, including its $2.15 billion acquisition of a 16.7 percent equity stake in Monster Beverage Corp. and its $1.2 billion acquisition of a 10 percent equity stake in Keurig Green Mountain, as well as its previous $12.3 billion acquisition of the North American bottling operations of Coca-Cola Enterprises.
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Medtronic in its $49.9 billion acquisition of Covidien, cleared globally less than six months after announcement.
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Western Digital in its $4.8 billion acquisition of Hitachi’s hard drive business.
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Stanley Black & Decker in its $690 million acquisition of International Equipment Solutions Attachments Group.
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SUPERVALU in multiple transactions, including in its acquisition by United Natural Foods for approximately $2.9 billion, its $375 million acquisition of Unified Grocers and its $193 million acquisition of Associated Grocers of Florida.
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Dollar Thrifty in its $2.3 billion acquisition by Hertz and through past competing offers by Hertz and Avis.
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Platform Specialty Products in its $2.3 billion public takeover of Alent, a UK-based maker of specialty chemicals.
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Vitro, the leading glass manufacturer in Mexico, in the $2.15 billion sale of its food and beverage glass containers business to Owens-Illinois, Inc.
Litigation and Investigations
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Keurig Green Mountain in monopolization litigation brought by competitors and purported class action plaintiffs, including successfully defending against a preliminary injunction seeking to block the launch of Keurig’s 2.0 coffee brewer in a decision that was upheld by the Second Circuit.
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Automotive parts manufacturer Aisin Seiki in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into possible price-fixing.
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W.L. Gore & Associates in obtaining the closure (with no action taken) of an FTC investigation into whether Gore’s business practices restricted competition in waterproof and breathable fabrics in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act.
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Whirlpool and Brazilian subsidiary Embraco in global cartel investigations into the refrigeration compressor industry. Also advised Whirlpool in related U.S. class actions and other antitrust litigation, including a successful Sixth Circuit appeal.
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A major technology company in obtaining successful closure (with no action taken) of non-public FTC investigation into its business practices.
Publications
2021: “U.S. and EU Antitrust: Expect Robust Enforcement in 2021,” Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2021
2020: “U.S. Agencies Publish Final Revised Vertical Merger Guidelines,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum
2020: “Avoiding or Defeating Potential Antitrust and Other Civil Suits Relating to Anti-Price Gouging Laws,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum
2016: "Too Many Gatekeepers? The Costs of Globalized Merger Control," Antitrust in Emerging and Developing Countries: Africa, Brazil, China, India, Mexico . . ., 2nd edition
2015: "Cartel Leniency Programs: Caveats and Costs," Competition Law & Policy Debate
2014: "Divergence Then and Now: What Does the U.S./EU Experience Tell Us About Convergence with MOFCOM," William E. Kovacic: An Antitrust Tribute – Volume II
2013: "Be Careful What You Wish For: U.S. Government Enforcement of Merger Consent Decrees," The Antitrust Bulletin
Events
- November 12, 2019
GCR Live 3rd Annual Women in Antitrust - November 14, 2018
ABA’s Yes, But . . . Asserting Affirmative Defenses in Merger Litigation
- June 7, 2018
GCR Live 6th Annual Conference - May 31, 2018
Antitrust in the Amazon World - February 15, 2018
M&A, Antitrust and the Board Room in 2018: Challenges and Conundrums for the West Coast - November 16, 2017
ABA’s 2017 Antitrust Fall Forum - September 11, 2017
Concurrences Law Journal and George Washington University Law School: What Is Trump Antitrust? - March 29, 2017
“Regulating by Consent – Fairness for All?” a panel discussion at the ABA Antitrust Law 2017 Spring Meeting. - March 9, 2017
“The Health Insurance Mergers: Implications for Merger Law and the Health Care Industry,” as part of the Insurance and Financial Services and Mergers Committees of the ABA Antitrust Section program. - February 22, 2017
"Corporate Counseling Monthly Update," the ABA’s Corporate Counseling Committee February antitrust update for in-house counsel. - September 19, 2016
"120 Merger Regimes: Multinational Deals in a World of Non-Convergence," organized by Concurrences law journal and George Washington University Law School. - May 10, 2016
The Capitol Forum Interview Series with Elaine Ewing - October 22, 2015
"Crimes Without Borders: Increasing Cooperation in White Collar Enforcement," as part of the ABA Section of International Law 2015 Fall Meeting. - October 14, 2015
"Antitrust and Competition Law Considerations –Devising Antitrust Strategies in M&A Transactions and Coordinating Global Reporting Obligations,” as part of the CBI’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances in Life Sciences conference.