Law firm Steptoe hires U.S. Justice Dept senior antitrust lawyer

(Reuters) – Steptoe & Johnson said on Monday that it has hired U.S. Justice Department senior antitrust lawyer Lee Berger as a partner in Washington, D.C.

Berger will be a member of the firm’s antitrust and competition practice and will work on non-criminal competition matters.

Before stepping into his most recent role as chief of the DOJ antitrust division’s civil conduct task force, Berger was a trial attorney in the media, entertainment and professional services section of the DOJ’s antitrust division.

Berger said that he has worked on telecom and technology matters in the past, and he expects his client base at Steptoe to be broader.

This year at the DOJ, Berger helped handle wage-fixing litigation against major poultry processors accused of working with a consulting company to block workers’ abilities to earn competitive wages.

In September, Steptoe brought on another federal government veteran when it hired Julia Gatto, a former federal defender for the Southern District of New York, as a member of the firm’s investigations and white collar-defense group.

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Chinekwu Osakwe

Thomson Reuters

Chinekwu Osakwe covers legal industry news with a focus on midsize law firms. Reach her at Chinekwu.osakwe@thomsonreuters.com.

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