Wilson Sonsini Continues Antitrust and Competition Expansion With the Return of Jamillia Ferris and Matthew McDonald

Ferris, Former DOJ Antitrust Division Official and FCC Advisor, Will Co-Lead the Antitrust Practice with Maureen Ohlhausen, Former FTC Acting Chair and Commissioner

Ferris and McDonald’s Return Follows the Addition of Ohlhausen and Taylor Owings in Early 2024 as Wilson Sonsini Continues to Expand Its Leading Antitrust Practice

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, is pleased to announce that Jamillia Ferris and Matthew McDonald have rejoined the firm as partners. Both will be based in the Washington, D.C., office. Ferris will be one of two co-leaders of Wilson Sonsini’s antitrust and competition practice, along with former FTC Acting Chair and Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen, who joined the firm in January 2024.

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Jamillia Ferris, Partner, Wilson Sonsini (Photo: Business Wire)

Ferris and McDonald were most recently at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where Ferris was a partner and head of the U.S. antitrust, competition, and trade practice. McDonald was counsel in Freshfields’ U.S. antitrust, competition, and trade practice.

“We are pleased to welcome back Jamillia and Matt at a time of heightened regulatory scrutiny of mergers and other transactions, and their return reflects our successful and ongoing efforts to continue expanding our antitrust practice to meet client needs,” said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. “We know it’s important to our clients to have a team that includes former agency officials with sophisticated experience across key regulatory areas. With Jamillia and Matt’s return, plus the addition of Maureen Ohlhausen and Taylor Owings earlier in the year, we’ve greatly fortified that distinctive strength.”

Wilson Sonsini’s antitrust and competition practice consists of more than 60 attorneys, several of whom are former agency officials with extensive regulatory and enforcement experience. That includes practice co-leaders Ferris and Ohlhausen, as well as Brent Snyder, who, among other prior roles, was the highest-ranking criminal antitrust enforcement attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), based on his work as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Enforcement. In addition, he served as the DOJ’s Acting Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust during the transition between the Obama and Trump administrations. Snyder currently heads Wilson Sonsini’s Regulatory Department, which includes the firm’s antitrust practice.

Ferris’ successful practice focuses on representing industry-leading companies before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and DOJ in merger matters and civil conduct investigations. She has advised clients on the antitrust aspects of major matters, including eBay in its acquisition of TCGPlayer, Coupa in its acquisition by Thoma Bravo, Credit Karma in its acquisition by Intuit, Bungie in its sale to Sony, Zynga in its sale to Take Two, Lumentum in its acquisitions of NeoPhotonics and Oclaro, DeepMap in its sale to Nvidia, and Mandiant in its acquisition by Google, among others.

From 2010-2013, Ferris served in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division as Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. As the Division’s Chief of Staff, she had oversight responsibility for civil and criminal enforcement matters, as well as budget and personnel issues. During this time, she also served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General on numerous enforcement matters.

In 2014, Ferris was appointed as a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) senior advisor to lead the review of AT&T’s acquisition of DIRECTV and served on the steering committee overseeing the FCC’s review of Comcast’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable.

“Jamillia and Matt’s return couldn’t be better timed, particularly given the surge in enforcement actions, the wide range of impacted industries, and the government’s expanded oversight and heightened stance on antitrust matters overall,” said Maureen Ohlhausen, partner and co-leader of Wilson Sonsini’s antitrust and competition practice. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing and collaborating with Jamillia for several years, and look forward to working with her to co-lead our antitrust practice. I join everyone else in welcoming her and Matt back to Wilson Sonsini.”

Ferris earned her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. She received a B.A. from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs in 1996. She is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

McDonald represents industry-leading companies before the FTC and DOJ in merger matters and civil conduct investigations, while also providing antitrust counseling throughout the due diligence and deal negotiation process. With a focus on technology, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, retail and consumer goods, and distribution, he brings significant experience across various industries. Additionally, he advises on competitor collaborations and vertical relationships.

Earlier in his career, McDonald served as an attorney at the FTC’s Mergers IV Division, where he guided the FTC in antitrust merger investigations and litigation. Among other assignments, he was instrumental to the trial team in the FTC’s successful challenge to the merger of Sysco and US Foods.

McDonald earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and received other academic awards. He received a B.A. in economics from the University of Virginia.

“Matt and I are thrilled to be back at Wilson Sonsini and have the opportunity to work alongside many former colleagues, as well as those who’ve joined more recently,” said Ferris. “The firm’s longstanding reputation and position in the technology and life sciences industries are unparalleled. Its clients include both brand names and innovative companies that entrust the firm with their most sophisticated matters. I’m excited to play a pivotal role in driving the practice forward.”

The return of Ferris and McDonald follows the addition of two other antitrust partners earlier this year. In January, Wilson Sonsini announced that Maureen Ohlhausen, former FTC Acting Chair and Commissioner, joined as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office, while Taylor Owings, previously Chief of Staff in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, joined as a partner in the New York office.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini’s services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has more than 1,000 attorneys and 19 offices in 17 technology, business, and regulatory markets across the United States, China, and Europe. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

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"We are pleased to welcome back Jamillia and Matt at a time of heightened regulatory scrutiny of mergers and other transactions, and their return reflects our successful and ongoing efforts to continue expanding our antitrust practice to meet client needs"