James J O'Connell

Jim O’Connell is a partner at Covington & Burling LLP and a member of the firm’s global antitrust and competition law practice. Based in Washington, DC, he advises international and US clients on a wide variety of antitrust matters, including potential mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, antitrust compliance and monitoring, government investigations, and litigation. In connection with his merger practice he also regularly advises clients regarding issues related to pre-merger notification filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and foreign merger control regimes. Mr. O’Connell has represented clients in a variety of industries, including companies in the energy, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, chemicals, high-tech, on-line services, telecommunications, and media sectors. Mr. O’Connell joined Covington in 2009 from the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for international enforcement, appellate litigation, and policy matters. As Deputy AAG, he was responsible for the development of the Division’s major legislative and policy positions, such as those regarding intellectual property and the enforcement of Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and regularly worked with other federal departments and agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, on matters involving competition policy. He was involved in many of the Department’s significant appellate and Supreme Court antitrust matters, including Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Pacific Bell Telephone Co. v. linkLine Communications, Inc. As the Division’s international Deputy, Mr. O’Connell was a key participant in the US government’s consultations with the leadership of the then-emerging Anti-Monopoly Law regime in China. He managed the Division’s relations with other competition law agencies around the world, a role which required frequent interaction and consultation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition and with the top enforcers of significant US trading partners such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Brazil, the UK, and Germany. Mr. O’Connell also represented the Division at multilateral organizations such as the OECD and the International Competition Network, for which he served as co-chair of the Merger Working Group. Mr. O’Connell joined the Antitrust Division as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in 2003. In that position, he worked on significant cases including United States v. Oracle Corp. and United States v. National Association of Realtors and in 2005 received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award. In 2006, he became Deputy Chief of Staff, rising to Chief of Staff in 2007. As Chief of Staff, Mr. O’Connell advised the Assistant Attorney General on all matters related to civil and criminal enforcement of the antitrust laws and supported the AAG in the management of the Antitrust Division. Prior to his government service Mr. O’Connell practiced antitrust law at an international New York based firm. Mr. O’Connell has testified on antitrust policy issues before the U.S. Congress and the Antitrust Modernization Commission. MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS Non-Governmental Advisor, International Competition Network Member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law and Associate Editor of the Section’s Antitrust magazine