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Zelle LLP Strengthens its Antitrust Practice with Addition of Washington, DC Office

January 19, 2016

Zelle LLP is pleased to announce the expansion of its antitrust and financial services litigation capabilities with the addition of attorneys based in Washington, DC.

Joining the firm will be James Robertson Martin, who will co-chair Zelle’s antitrust and unfair competition practice, and Jennifer Duncan Hackett.  They were formerly with Dickstein Shapiro in Washington, DC.

The attorneys, who have represented corporate plaintiffs in antitrust actions for the past 15 years, will join Zelle LLP effective January 19, 2016.  Their clients include the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  With the addition of these attorneys and the opening of a Washington, DC office, Zelle will strengthen one of its core practices, as well as its ability to serve its antitrust and financial service clients on a national basis. 

“This group significantly expands the depth and breadth of our antitrust practice,” said Kerry Brown, a member of Zelle’s Executive Committee. “They bring great legal skills and experience on some of the largest antitrust cases in the country.  We are excited to have them join our firm and add their talents to our already strong antitrust practice.” 

“We have worked alongside Zelle for years and have always been impressed with its deep bench of high quality litigators, culture of collaboration, commitment to excellence, and dedication to diversity,” said Martin.  “The increased scale and combined expertise will allow us all to pursue the largest and most challenging antitrust and financial service matters in the marketplace.”

“I am thrilled that these highly regarded antitrust practitioners are joining us at Zelle,” said Judith Zahid, managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office.  “Zelle’s antitrust group, which is currently centered in San Francisco, will now have a coast-to-coast presence and a highly collaborative team.”

Martin, former partner and head of business development for the antitrust and financial services groups at Dickstein Shapiro, has experience in all aspects of complex antitrust, commercial, and financial services litigation on a national and international scale.  He represents institutions and businesses affected by misconduct by commercial and investment banks, such as those involved in the LIBOR litigation.

Hackett’s practice involves a wide range of litigation, including representation of opt-out plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust cases.  She was an instrumental member of the trial team in ZF Meritor LLC, et al. v. Eaton Corporation, which obtained a liability verdict for plaintiffs in a bifurcated antitrust trial involving monopolization and exclusive dealing issues. The case was ultimately resolved for $500 million, one of the largest antitrust settlements in recent years. She is a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers and was a member of Dickstein Shapiro’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.

Within the last year, Zelle’s growth has accelerated with new offices opened in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, an expanded Boston office, and the launch of Zelle International in London.  The firm is poised to see further growth and build on its history of representing clients in their most challenging business disputes in venues across the U.S. and around the world.

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