Leah Brannon is a partner based in the Washington, D.C. office.
Ms. Brannon’s practice focuses on antitrust matters, including mergers and litigation, and appellate litigation. Ms. Brannon’s work has involved cases in both federal and state courts, and she has advised clients in investigations by the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, state agencies, and the European Commission. Her recent experience includes representing Google Inc. in connection with the enforcement of the consent decree in
United States v. Microsoft. She represented PeopleSoft Inc. in its $10 billion acquisition by Oracle Corporation and related litigation, and Maytag Corporation in its $2.7 billion acquisition by Whirlpool Corporation. She also defended Otis Elevator Company and United Technologies Corporation against a purported antitrust class action, which involved a successful motion to dismiss that was subsequently affirmed on all counts by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Ms. Brannon is distinguished as one of the leading antitrust lawyers by
Chambers USA, U.S. Legal 500 and
Washingtonian magazine. In addition, in 2012,
Global Competition Review's "40 Under 40" survey named Ms. Brannon among the most talented competition lawyers under 40 years old. In 2011 she was selected as one of
The American Lawyer's "45 Under 45" best young women lawyers, and in 2010 she was named one of
Law360's ten "rising stars" in antitrust law.
Ms. Brannon has taught antitrust as a teaching fellow at Harvard University and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is currently a Senior Editor for the
Antitrust Law Journal.
Ms. Brannon joined the firm in 2003 and became a partner in 2008. She received a J.D. degree,
magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1999 and a B.A. with highest distinction from the University of Virginia in 1995. From 1996-1997, Ms. Brannon was a Fulbright Scholar in Egypt. From 2000-2001, she served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and from 2002-2003 she served as law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States.