K&L Gates Continues Washington, D.C., Office Growth with Antitrust Partner Addition

Washington, D.C. – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Vishal Mehta as a partner in its Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice. He joins the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, which also recently welcomed US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers Varu Chilakamarri and Michael Culhane Harper. Mehta moves to K&L Gates from Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Mehta’s well-rounded antitrust practice has a strong focus on mergers and acquisitions and technology markets. He has extensive experience representing clients before the DOJ, Federal Trade Commission, and foreign competition authorities throughout the merger review process. Mehta has defended clients in high-stakes merger investigations in dozens of industries. His work encompasses public and private firms, private equity sponsors, venture capital firms, emerging companies, and other businesses, and spans a broad range of deal types. His knowledge of deal structuring and process helps him steer clients through the most challenging Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) and competition issues.

Mehta also counsels clients on the spectrum of antitrust issues arising in the ordinary course of business. His prior work as a secondee in-house at a global natural resources company gives him a unique perspective on how to assess risk; provide clear, practical guidance to business; and mitigate risk through effective compliance guardrails. In addition to M&A, counseling, and compliance, he has represented companies in antitrust litigation involving claims of price-fixing, hub-and-spoke conspiracy, and monopolization, and defended clients in civil non-merger government investigations at the state, federal, and international levels.

Michael Scanlon, a leader of K&L Gates’ global Policy & Regulatory practice area, said: “Vishal’s strong background in deal work, counseling, and compliance, positions K&L Gates’ leading antitrust and M&A practices to capitalize on growing antitrust demand with major regulatory changes on the horizon. We are delighted to have him join our antitrust group.”

Mehta’s arrival follows the addition of several other new partners and policy professionals to the Washington, D.C., office during the last year, including the aforementioned DOJ lawyers Varu Chilakamarri and Michael Culhane Harper; Jamie Jackson, former senior counsel to former US House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer; Matt Leggett, former minority chief counsel with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Finch Fulton, former US Department of Transportation deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy; Ryan Carney, former chief of staff for two members of Congress; and insurance litigator Geoffrey Greeves.

David Wochner, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Washington, D.C., office, commented: “We’re thrilled to welcome Vishal to our Washington office. Vishal is an exceptional antitrust and M&A lawyer with more than a decade and a half of experience guiding clients through merger control issues. He has a finger on the pulse of dynamic enforcement trends as well as a deep understanding of the evolving global regulatory landscape.”

The Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice at K&L Gates is composed of more than 80 lawyers throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The group is positioned in strategic markets around the globe to help clients minimize antitrust risks and ensure compliance, defend or pursue litigation, get deals through regulatory authorities, provide guidance in pricing, distribution, and brand protection challenges, and leverage antitrust and competition laws.