Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that Robert Lepore, a former Section Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, has joined the Firm as a partner. Robert is based in the Firm’s Los Angeles and Washington, DC offices and is a member of Willkie’s Antitrust & Competition practice group.
Robert most recently led the Transportation, Energy and Agriculture Section, leveraging his skills as an antitrust trial lawyer to achieve government wins in high-profile, multi-billion dollar merger challenges, including JetBlue/Spirit Airlines. In his 13 years at the Antitrust Division, he has overseen more than 40 investigations and four trials in a range of industries—including airlines, travel technology, electricity, livestock, telecommunications, software, railroads, shipping, oil field services, seeds, and agricultural biotechnology. He routinely interacted with and served as a Division spokesperson to other federal, state and international agencies: among others, the Department of Transportation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Surface Transportation Board, Department of Commerce, Federal Communications Commission, European Commission, and offices of state attorneys general. Robert is a recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, and a nine-time recipient of the Assistant Attorney General Award.
Wes Powell, Co-Chair of Willkie’s Antitrust & Competition Group, commented: “Robert is an outstanding antitrust lawyer who is well-positioned to help our clients navigate the constantly changing antitrust enforcement landscape. His deep knowledge and experience at the Antitrust Division in both significant antitrust investigations and enforcement actions will add enormous value for our clients facing the current challenging antitrust environment, and reinforces our commitment to expanding our capabilities to serve our clients’ needs. We are thrilled to welcome him to Willkie.”
Throughout his tenure at the Antitrust Division, Robert oversaw review of Hart-Scott-Rodino filings, managed dozens of merger and joint venture investigations, and negotiated a number of groundbreaking settlements across industries that included airlines, telecommunications, electricity, shipping, logistics, travel technology, software, oil field services, farming, and food processing. As a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division’s Telecommunications and Media Enforcement Section earlier in his career, he served as a team lead on industry-changing telecommunications mergers, such as the proposed Comcast/Time Warner merger.
"Willkie is well-known for its high-level U.S. and global antitrust practice, and team of practitioners who have handled some of the largest and most complex antitrust matters in recent years," said Robert. "I look forward to working with my new colleagues to guide clients through the evolving challenges of today’s antitrust environment."
Robert’s arrival follows the addition of renowned antitrust trial lawyer Katrina Robson, who joined Willkie in Washington, DC in 2023. Willkie added competition partners Boris Bronfentrinker, Elaine Whiteford, Nicola Chesaites and Michelle Clark in London, and Dr. Jens-Olrik Murach, who is based in Brussels and Frankfurt, in 2021.
Willkie’s Antitrust & Competition Practice Group serves an antitrust world without borders with a fully-integrated team of competition lawyers in the United States and Europe and close relationships with partner firms throughout Asia, Latin America and Africa. Our antitrust team represents a global client base in national and international merger filings, U.S. and European investigations of all forms of anticompetitive activity, class action and private litigation, and business ventures in multiple jurisdictions. We have acted in a host of sectors, including financial services and consulting, business and financial information, media, e-commerce, consumer goods, hedge funds and private equity, hospitality pharmaceuticals, apparel, air and maritime transport, energy, telecommunication, industrial and chemical manufacturing, and satellite communications.