Steven K. Bernstein, a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, focuses on antitrust counseling and litigation, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining the Firm, he served for more than 12 years at the Federal Trade Commission, most recently as Assistant Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, where he oversaw the Bureau’s Mergers I Division.
Since joining Weil in 2004, Mr. Bernstein has represented numerous clients before the FTC and the Department of Justice and has successfully obtained antitrust clearance for major transactions in a variety of industries.
Recent successes include representing Actavis in its $66 billion acquisition of Allergan, Johnson & Johnson in its $21.3 billion purchase of Synthes, and Health Management Associates in the sale of the company to Community Health Systems for $7.6 billion. Mr. Bernstein also regularly represents clients in antitrust conduct matters before the antitrust enforcement agencies and in private litigation.
While at the FTC, Mr. Bernstein was involved in supervising the FTC’s merger enforcement program in a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defense, healthcare, and industrial products. Mr. Bernstein played a significant role in a number of important antitrust enforcement actions in these industries, including the successfully litigated challenge of Alliant Techsystems’ proposed acquisition of Olin’s Ordnance Division.
He was also responsible for negotiating numerous consent agreements, including settlements in Lockheed Martin/Loral, Astra/Zeneca, Boeing/Rockwell Aerospace and Defense, ABB/Elsag Bailey, Illinois Tool Works/Hobart Brothers, and S.C. Johnson/DowBrands.
Mr. Bernstein has also written articles discussing the role of antitrust enforcement in the defense, pharmaceutical, and retail industries, and served on the editorial board for the American Bar Association Pharmaceutical Industry Antitrust Handbook.
In addition, he participated in the development of the FTC Best Practices Guidelines for Merger Investigations, as well as served as vice chair of the Government Litigation Committee of the ABA’s Antitrust Section.
Mr. Bernstein received his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law, where he served as the executive editor of the Northwestern University Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. He received a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Miami, where he graduated magna cum laude.
Education:
- University of Miami (B.B.A., 1988)
- Northwestern Univ Law (J.D., 1991)
Admissions:
- District of Columbia
- State of Florida
Cost
Rate : $$$
