"A truly fine lawyer; he's excellent."
Chambers USA 2022
John M. Taladay is a highly esteemed antitrust and competition lawyer with years of experience leading complex antitrust merger, litigation, and cartel investigation matters for clients around the globe. John serves as Chair of the global antitrust practice of Baker Botts, which is ranked top ten among the Global Competition Review (GCR) Elite competition practices in the world.
He has been recognized as one of the leading competition lawyers in the United States. Chambers USA has uniquely recognized him in every ranked antitrust category including Antitrust/Competition, Antitrust/Litigation and Antitrust/Cartels, one of very few ever to have achieved this distinction. The publication notes that “He is equally at home guiding clients through sophisticated merger review proceedings as he is managing cartel and anticompetitive behavior investigations and litigation.” John has been cited as one of the 10 foremost competition “Thought Leaders” in the U.S. by Who’s Who Legal, while also being recognized by clients for being “pragmatic” and giving “sound advice that is very attuned to the client's needs." John also is recognized as among the country’s top competition lawyers by Chambers Global, Legal 500, Expert Guides “Best of the Best,” Super Lawyers and other publications.
John’s merger work includes extensive experience in gaining merger clearances, appearing frequently before the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the DOJ Antitrust Division, the European Commission and numerous other international agencies. He has managed numerous, complex, multi-jurisdictional deals to successful conclusion. Clients note that "John is reliable and insightful - his ability to balance academic conceptual legal arguments with the real-world business implications was crucial." He has particular industry expertise in the technology, media, consumer products, software and pharmaceuticals sectors, as well traditional industries including automotive, airline, metals, agriculture, food, chemicals and electronics. He has been invited to speak as an expert on merger review by competition enforcers, including the OECD Competition Committee and the International Competition Network Mergers Working Group. As noted in Chambers USA 2018, John is "incredibly smart and an authoritative voice when it comes to antitrust. He is very effective before regulators and very technical, but able to the distill the content in an understandable way."
In antitrust litigation matters, he has achieved winning results as lead counsel to large corporations in numerous class action and private party cases involving all aspects of competition law, including allegations of price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation and unfair trade practices. He is named as one of 18 “Leading Lawyers” in Antitrust Civil Litigation Defense by Legal 500 (2022). Lawdragon named John as one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America. Sources remark that “He is a fierce advocate on behalf of the client and I trust him to deliver results on important litigation.”
Chambers USA 2022. He has served as lead counsel to key defendants in many of the largest multidistrict class actions filed over the past 20 years, including In Re Generic Pharmaceutical Price Fixing, In Re Optical Disc Drive Price Fixing, In Re Air Cargo Price Fixing, In Re Cathode Ray Tube Price Fixing and others.
John has also led the defense of U.S. and foreign companies, and individuals, in dozens of major cartel matters. These include DOJ and grand jury investigations into criminal allegations of price fixing, bid‐rigging, market allocation, “no-poach” and wage fixing, and related offenses. He has navigated corporate clients through a range of cartel representation strategies from steadfast defense to leniency application to non‐prosecution or deferred prosecution treatment. His litigation work includes acting as lead counsel in numerous civil antitrust class action and other litigation matters involving nearly all aspects of the antitrust laws. Legal 500 has named him as one of the 15 “Leading Lawyers” in Cartel Defense in the United States. He has written extensively on the issues of cartel defense and leniency and issues relating to “no poach” and wage fixing investigations.
John’s leadership in international competition matters and policy development spans more than two decades. He serves as Chair of the Business at OECD (BIAC) Competition Committee to the OECD. He is the immediate past Chair of the United States Council for International Business Competition Committee. He has been appointed as a Non‐Governmental Advisor to the International Competition Network for more than 15 years. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Global Private Litigation Committee of the ABA Antitrust Law Section and as a member of the ICC Commission on Competition.
Related Experience
Lead counsel to large domestic and international companies in U.S. and Global merger, cartel, litigation and dominance matters, including all of the following:
- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in connection with its complaint to the European Commission relating to aftermarket sales and repairs.
- comScore’s acquisition of Rentrak in online, television and cross-media measurement.
- Large technology company in relation to U.S. and international investigations relating to standards essential patents (SEPs).
- Akamai Technology's acquisition of Prolexic in DDoS and cloud security solutions.
- GKN's acquisition of Volvo Aerospace, NV.
- A major Japanese auto parts manufacturing company in DOJ Grand Jury investigation and follow-on class action litigation.
- In re Air Cargo Antitrust Litigation - Lead counsel to South African Airways in civil class actions and DOJ investigation.
- In re Optical Disk Drive (ODD) Antitrust Litigation - Lead counsel representing PLDS in all aspects of DOJ investigation and related civil class actions.
- In re Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Antitrust Litigation - Lead counsel to Philips Electronics in all aspects of DOJ investigation and related civil class actions.
- Represented a major U.S. pharmaceutical company before the FTC in connection with a merger opposition and divestiture initiative.
- Akamai Technology's acquisition of Contendo.
- GKN's acquisition of a large automotive drive train parts company.
- Inco Ltd. - including Inco’s DOJ Approval for the Acquisition of Falconbridge, Ltd. and subsequent sale to CVRD. Nickel and cobalt mining & refining.
- Plumbing Cartel Investigation - Lead counsel in DOJ and EC cartel investigation into plumbing products.
Awards & Community
The Legal 500 U.S., 2015-2017, 2021 & 2022
Chambers USA, Antitrust, 2005-2022
Recognized as a Washington D.C. Super Lawyer, 2005-2018
Listed in Who's Who Legal: Competition, 2016 & 2017
Expert Guide to the Leading Competition Lawyers, 2004
News
Lawdragon Recognizes 14 Baker Botts Lawyers its Inaugural List of “Leading Litigators in America”
10th Global Antitrust Hot Topics EU, US & Global Perspectives
ConcurrencesConcurrences
Baker Botts Increases Practice Rankings in The Legal 500 U.S.
Baker Botts Expands Its Leading Chambers USA Rankings in Antitrust and Competition
Baker Botts Expands Its Leading Chambers USA Rankings across its Litigation Department
Baker Botts Earns 45 Practice Rankings in Chambers USA 2022
Defending Antitrust Allegations of Wage-Fixing and No-Poaching Agreements
Competition Policy InternationalCompetition Policy International
EU and US enforcers to speak at GCR Live: Cartels
Global Competition ReviewGlobal Competition Review
United States: Washington, DC
Global Competition ReviewGlobal Competition Review
Competition 2021 - Legal Marketplace Analysis
Who'sWhoLegalWho'sWhoLegal
Khan Ascension to FTC Chair Fuels Antitrust Uncertainty
DEAL - (HEBDO ECONOMIQUE AMÉRICAIN), TheDEAL - (HEBDO ECONOMIQUE AMÉRICAIN), The
Baker Botts Continues Ascent Up Legal 500 US Rankings
Baker Botts’ Practices and Lawyers Take More Top Spots in Chambers USA 2021
Baker Botts Scores Six “Band 1” Rankings in Chambers Global 2021
United States: Washington, DC
Global Competition ReviewGlobal Competition Review
DOJ Reaffirms Borders on Antitrust-IP Intersection
Competition Policy InternationalCompetition Policy International
Antitrust 'Leniency' Incentive Saved, With Lingering Criticisms
Law360Law360
Five floors up: The Tipline for 24 June 2020
Global Competition ReviewGlobal Competition Review
Baker Botts’ Band-1 Lawyer Rankings Increase by 38% in Chambers USA 2020
Chinese Electronics Cos. Win Pause On CRT Case For Appeal
Law360Law360
Baker Botts’ Global Antitrust Practice Rises in the Ranks in GCR 100 – 20th Edition
GCR 100 - 20th Edition - United States: Washington, DC
Global Competition ReviewGlobal Competition Review
New Settlement Talks Revive CRT Class Leadership Fight
Law360Law360
Gov't Ownership Doesn't Shield Cos. In CRT Suit, Court Told
Law360Law360
ACPERA provisions need clarity, panellists tell DOJ
Global Competition ReviewGlobal Competition Review
ARSA Opens Policy Platform with Conference Kickoff
ARSAARSA
Baker Botts Antitrust Chair Maureen Ohlhausen Selected to AmLaw: The 25 Biggest Lateral Moves of 2018
Baker Botts' Antitrust Practice Moves up the Ranks in GCR 100 "Global Elite"
Former Acting Chair and Commissioner of Federal Trade Commission Joins Baker Botts
The Enduring Vitality of Comity in a Globalized World
Antitrust & Competition Policy BlogAntitrust & Competition Policy Blog
Baker Botts Welcomes Leading Antitrust Lawyer and Former Senior DOJ Official to its San Francisco Office
Chinese Electronics Co Fights Doc Demand in CRT Suit
Law 360Law 360
Baker Botts 6th Global Antitrust Conference - Program Released
Renowned Antitrust Lawyers Mark Botti and Anthony Swisher Join Baker Botts’ Antitrust and Competition Practice
Baker Botts Appoints New Partner in Charge for its Washington, D.C. Office
Baker Botts Antitrust Practice Heralded Again as Market Leader in Chambers USA 2018
Baker Botts Increases Rankings in Chambers USA 2018
John Taladay, Circuit Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg Win 2018 Concurrences Antitrust Writing Award
Antitrust Partner John Taladay is Business and Industry Advisory Committee’s New Competition Chair
Thought Leadership
Considerations for a Biden Administration – Antitrust & Competition
VideoDOJ Reaffirms Borders on Antitrust-IP Intersection
External ArticleCompetition Law Policy International
The Failing Firm Theory – How to Benefit from the Theory on Post-crisis Scenarios without False-negatives
Speeches & PresentationsPanelist, IBRAC
Antitrust Cartels Webinar: Crucial Decisions in the First Moments
WebinarEverything You Want to Know About Cartels (But Were Too Afraid to Ask)
Webinar
DOJ Antitrust Division Announces Policy Changes Incentivizing Corporate Compliance Programs
Client UpdatesAntitrust Update
Recent M&A Dispute Highlights Importance of Negotiating and Complying with Antitrust Risk-Shifting Provisions in Merger Agreements
Client UpdatesEvents
Upcoming
Recent
Global Antitrust Hot Topics, EU, U.S. & Global Perspectives
15th Annual Georgetown Antitrust Enforcement Symposium
8th Annual Global Antitrust Hot Topics: EU, U.S. & Global Perspectives
Baker Botts, in partnership with Concurrences will host our 8th Annual Global Antitrust Seminar.
Baker Botts Webinar - Everything You Want to Know About Cartels (But Were Too Afraid to Ask)
Baker Botts partners Peter Huston, Erik Koons, Matthew Levitt and John Taladay will be hosting a webinar on Everything You Want to Know About Cartels (But Were Too Afraid to Ask) and will be discussing the latest trends and challenges in cartel investigations and enforcement.