Overview
Michael Murray is Chair of the Antitrust and Competition practice and a partner in the Appellate, Regulatory, and Complex Litigation practices at Paul Hastings, based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Murray brings significant government antitrust and competition experience, having most recently served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ), where he oversaw the work of approximately 350 lawyers and 50 economists. Mr. Murray also brings significant government experience to a practice consisting of preparing and litigating challenges to agency rulemaking, adjudication, or other activity, having served as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at DOJ, where he oversaw the Civil Division’s defense of high-profile rulemaking challenges and other agency actions.
Recognitions
- The National Law Journal, Rising Star (2022)
- The Legal 500 USA, Civil Litigation/Class Actions: Defense (2023)
- The Legal 500 USA, Merger Control (2023)
Education
- Yale University, J.D., 2009
- Princeton University, A.B. (summa cum laude), 2006
Representations
Antitrust
- Align Technologies, the maker of "Invisalign," in the defense of multi-district antitrust lawsuits alleging that Align has monopolized the markets for aligners and intraoral dental scanners.
- Manufacturer of industrial products in merger investigation.
- Software company in merger investigation.
- Multiple trade associations in variety of antitrust matters.
- Major medical device company in litigation at intersection of antitrust and intellectual property.
- Major pharmaceutical company in antitrust investigation.
- Major pharmaceutical company in global risk assessment of business structure.
- Financial services company before government agencies.
- Fintech company in antitrust investigation.
- Significant agricultural company in litigation at intersection of antitrust, employment, and labor.
- Entertainment company in government investigation.
- Multiple entertainment and telecommunications companies in design and implementation of compliance systems and policies.
- Initiated novel Section 2 merger challenge in the financial services industry involving one of largest companies in the United States and a nascent competitor.*
- Litigated Section 7 merger challenge in the transportation technology industry from investigation through appeal.*
- Supervised first-ever live-witness Tunney Act hearing regarding merger consent decree, involving large pharmacy and insurance companies in health care industry.*
- Oversaw largest consent decree enforcement in the past twenty years, involving major players in media and entertainment industry.*
- Served as highest-ranking Antitrust Division official in technology investigations, which culminated in landmark Section 2 monopolization lawsuit.*
Appellate and Complex Litigation
- Trade association regarding multiple rulemakings by cabinet agency.
- Trade association in challenge to independent agency rulemaking.
- Argued appeal of largest health care fraud sentence in nation’s history.*
- Led Federal Circuit en banc briefing on Section 101 patent eligibility issues.*
- Led DOJ team successfully defending neutrality rules (Mozilla Corp. v. FCC, D.C. Circuit).*
news
insights
- Dealmakers Beware of a New Regulatory Hurdle: the European Foreign Subsidies Regulation is Here - February 22nd, 2023
- FTC Announces Revised HSR Filing Fees and Increased HSR Thresholds - January 26th, 2023
- FTC Condemns Non-Competes: An Antitrust Perspective on Practical Next Steps for Companies - January 10th, 2023
- FTC Sows Uncertainty with Unfair Competition Guidance - November 15th, 2022
- Guilty Plea in Criminal Attempted Monopolization Case for Inviting Collusion Highlights Elevated Antitrust Risk - November 2nd, 2022
- Considerations For Private Equity After FTC Vet Clinic Deal - July 7th, 2022
- Employee Mobility: What to Know About Noncompetes - June 20th, 2022
- Raising the Stakes: Global Criminal Enforcement of the Antitrust Laws in the Supply Chain - February 22nd, 2022
- “The Wheel Is Come Full Circle”: FTC Investigations of the Supply Chain and Gasoline - November 30th, 2021
- DOJ Settlement a Reminder That Antitrust Deal Risk Extends Beyond the Deal - November 17th, 2021
- M&A Today - The New Antitrust Environment - November 16th, 2021
- U.S. Antitrust Efforts Pose Risk for Asian Companies - October 22nd, 2021
- Ninth Circuit Rejects Certification of Nationwide Class in Antitrust Case - October 8th, 2021
Engagement & Publications
- Mitigating Labor Antitrust Risks as Enforcement Ramps Up, Law360 (June 16, 2022)
- Beyond Spoofing: What’s Next for CFTC and DOJ Enforcement (Futures Industry Association, 2022)
- Antitrust in the Financial Sector: Competition in Traditional Banking Services (Concurrences, 2022)
- Regulatory Outlook (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2022)
- Life Sciences and IP: Navigating the Current Antitrust Environment (December 1, 2021)
- Vertically Challenged (ABA Panel, 2021)
- Courthouse Steps Decision Webinar: NCAA v. Alston (Teleforum, 2021)
- Implications of 1-800 Contacts v. FTC (ABA Panel, 2021)
- How To Mitigate Antitrust Risk In ESG Efforts, Law360 (October 19, 2021)
- The Muscular Role for Antitrust in Fintech, Financial Markets, and Banking (University of Michigan Law School, 2020)
- Antitrust Federalism (George Mason University Law School, 2020)
- Recent Developments and Emerging Trends in Litigation (N.Y. State Bar Association, 2020)
- The Jurisprudence of Direct and Indirect Purchasers (International Business Competition Committee, 2019)
- Meet the DAAGs (ABA Spring Meeting, 2019)
- Innovation & Competition Policy (Mentor Group, 2019)
- Antitrust Enforcement in Labor Markets (Santa Clara University, 2019)
- Private Management of Public Spaces, 34 HARV. ENVTL. L. REV. 179 (2010)
- Note, The Law of Describing Accidents, 118 YALE L.J. 1484 (2009)
Involvement
- Vice-Chair of the ABA Antitrust Section’s Federal Civil Enforcement Committee
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Antitrust Council