Ali M. Stoeppelwerth is a partner in the firm's Regulatory and Government Affairs Department, and a member of the Antitrust and Competition and Aviation Practice Groups. She joined the firm in 1994.
Ms. Stoeppelwerth has a broad range of experience in handling antitrust matters. In recent years, she has secured dismissal of major antitrust actions for clients in industries as diverse as investment banking and newspaper publishing. She has also successfully represented numerous clients in merger and nonmerger civil investigations conducted by the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and other state and federal agencies. While she has experience handling matters in a wide variety of industries, Ms. Stoeppelwerth has particular and deep expertise in addressing antitrust issues arising in the financial services, Internet/media and airline industries.
Practice
Ms. Stoeppelwerth's practice includes private antitrust litigation at both the trial court and appellate level, and representation of clients in both merger and nonmerger investigations before the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. She also regularly counsels clients on matters involving joint ventures, acquisitions, pricing strategies, trade association and distribution arrangements. In addition to her extensive experience representing clients in the financial services, media and airline industries, she has represented clients in the fields of telecommunications, consumer goods and retailing.
Recent Highlights
- Successfully represented major investment banks in securing dismissal on implied-immunity grounds of three separate antitrust class actions challenging various IPO underwriting and short-selling practices (Credit Suisse Securities v. Billing, Friedman v. Salomon/Smith Barney, ETG v. Banc of America)
- Obtained antitrust clearance from the Department of Justice for numerous significant media transactions, including acquisitions by newspaper, broadcast and Internet clients
- Successfully represented airline clients in major acquisitions, private antitrust litigation (Hall v. United Airlines), and proceedings before the Department of Justice and Department of Transportation
- Obtained dismissal of a private antitrust lawsuit against leading newspaper syndication service (Paddock v. Chicago Tribune) and summary judgment in case involving various antitrust claims against a major metropolitan newspaper (Berlyn v. Gazette Newspapers)
- Represents major commercial bank in multidistrict class action litigation challenging interchange fees and merchant rules set by payment card networks
- Serves as antitrust counsel for trade association of corporate bondholders and institutional investors
Select Publications
- Ali M. Stoeppelwerth, Antitrust Issues Associated with the Sale of e-Books and Other Digital Content, ANTITRUST 69 (Spring 2011)
- A. Douglas Melamed, Ali M. Stoeppelwerth & Barbara Blank, Refusals to Deal in Patents and Patented Goods, in ISSUES IN COMPETITION LAW & POLICY 103 (American Bar Association, W. Dale Collins ed. 2008)
- A. Douglas Melamed & Ali M. Stoeppelwerth, The CSU Case: Facts, Formalism and the Intersection of Antitrust and Intellectual Property, 10 GEO. MASON L. REV. 407 (2002)
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, When Can Lenders Talk?, American College of Investment Counsel, 2010 Spring Investment Forum, April 2010
- Panelist, Implied Repeals of the Antitrust Laws: How Far Are the Courts Willing to Go?, ABA Antitrust Section Brown Bag Discussion, March 2009
- Presenter, Recent Antitrust Cases in the Payment Card Industry, Fourth Annual WilmerHale Consumer Credit Conference, September 2006
Professional Activities
Ms. Stoeppelwerth is active in the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association. She regularly speaks and writes on antitrust issues and provides antitrust compliance programs to clients.
