Bruce is a prominent antitrust attorney who is accomplished at the full range of antitrust matters: litigation and class actions, government merger reviews and investigations, and cartel-related issues. Although the health care, communications, and retail industries are a particular focus for Bruce, he represents companies in many other sectors. His client roster ranges from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies to nonprofit organizations. Bruce served as Managing Member of the firm’s Washington, DC office for 12 years and on the firm’s Executive Committee for 13 years.
"Bruce is an experienced and capable antitrust attorney, with a strong analytical ability."
Bruce is Chair of the Antitrust Section. He applies his extensive experience, understanding of clients' business, and judgment developed over decades in private practice to a broad range of antitrust matters, including government merger reviews and investigations and antitrust litigation.
In the antitrust area, Bruce’s practice includes antitrust counseling and representation in connection with federal and state governmental matters, including merger review, HSR second requests, and cartel matters, as well as private antitrust litigation, including class actions. He counsels and has represented Fortune 100 companies, not-for-profits, start-up entities, trade associations, and domestic and international joint ventures. Bruce has been involved in antitrust matters spanning a broad range of industries, but has particularly deep experience in the health care, communications, and retail industries. For example, Chambers USA attests that “he is one of those guys who understands the healthcare competition aspects very well.”
Bruce served as the Managing Member for the firm’s Washington, DC office from 1989 to 2001, and served on the firm’s Executive Committee from 1989 to 2002. He has been annually recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA for Antitrust: Washington, DC, and has received Client Service All-Star recognition from BTI Consulting Group as well as JD Supra Readers' Choice Award for Top Author in Antitrust & Trade Regulation.
During law school, he served as editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Law Journal. Following his graduation from Georgetown, Bruce served as law clerk to Judge Edward Allen Tamm of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Bruce is a prominent antitrust attorney who is accomplished at the full range of antitrust matters: litigation and class actions, government merger reviews and investigations, and cartel-related issues. Although the health care, communications, and retail industries are a particular focus for Bruce, he represents companies in many other sectors. His client roster ranges from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies to nonprofit organizations. Bruce served as Managing Member of the firm’s Washington, DC office for 12 years and on the firm’s Executive Committee for 13 years.
"Bruce is an experienced and capable antitrust attorney, with a strong analytical ability."
Experience
- Represent New York Stock Exchange Company a defendant major electronic component manufacturer in class action cartel antitrust litigation.
- Represented one of the nation’s leading Academic Medical Center and affiliated networks in antitrust matters including merger reviews and in parallel DOJ Antitrust Division and State Attorney General investigations.
- Represented one of the nation’s premier pharmacy chains in its $27 billion acquisition of a “big three” pharmacy benefits manager.
- Represented a market leading producer and distributor of environmentally-safe household products in its acquisition by another transnational consumer goods company.
- Represented a cable company in the first successful FTC clearance of the acquisition of an overbuilt cable system.
- Served as antitrust counsel for a hospital in its merger with another medical center.
- Represented major cable television providers and major programming networks in connection with a high-profile merger proceeding before the Department of Justice and state attorneys general.
- Served as lead counsel for an American telecom company in a purported nationwide antitrust class action. The suit alleged that the cable operator’s practice of leasing set-top boxes to customers who also purchase cable television services constitutes an illegal antitrust tie.
- Represented an American retail and pharmacy chain in an antitrust class action alleging unfair restriction for participation in a Rhode Island pharmacy network. We obtained summary judgment for the defendants, which was affirmed on appeal.
- Represented the regional council for a construction trade union in connection with a lawsuit brought by other trade unions alleging that provisions in the defendant’s collective bargaining agreements governing subcontracting of work within the defendant’s claimed trade jurisdiction result in an illegal restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Act.
- Served as lead counsel for a major telecommunications carrier in multidistrict litigation involving 20 separate antitrust class action suits that were consolidated into a single MDL. The suits alleged that the cable industry’s practice of leasing set-top boxes to customers who also purchase cable television services constitutes an illegal tying arrangement under the antitrust laws.
- Represent one of the nation's most prestigious health care providers and hospital groups, since its creation over 20 years ago, to help it make smooth and efficient acquisitions and respond effectively to government investigations.
viewpoints
DOJ Deputy Chief Announces “Stiffer Sentences” for AI-Related White-Collar Crime — AI: The Washington Report
March 14, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
DOJ and FTC Weigh in on Alleged Algorithmic Price Fixing — AI: The Washington Report
March 7, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
FTC Hosts Panel and Launches Public Inquiry with DOJ and HHS on Private Equity and Health Care
March 6, 2024 | Advisory | By Karen Lovitch , Bruce Sokler, Joseph Miller , Raj Gambhir
Proposed FTC Rule Would Hold AI Companies Liable for “Deepfake” Impersonation Scams — AI: The Washington Report
February 29, 2024 | Advisory | By Bruce Sokler, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Alexander Hecht, Raj Gambhir
Federal and State Lawmakers Launch AI Task Forces — AI: The Washington Report
February 22, 2024 | Article | By Daniel Connelly, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Bruce Sokler, Raj Gambhir
Commerce Department Launches Cross-Sector Consortium on AI Safety — AI: The Washington Report
February 16, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Senators Propose Clarification of Antitrust Law to Expressly Cover Algorithmic Collusion — AI: The Washington Report
February 8, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Biden’s AI Executive Order Achieves First Major Milestones (AI EO January Update) — AI: The Washington Report
February 2, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Algorithmic Disgorgement: An Increasingly Important Part of the FTC’s Remedial Arsenal — AI: The Washington Report
January 24, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
FTC Announced Increased HSR Thresholds & Revised Filing Fee Schedule
January 23, 2024 | Alert | By Bruce Sokler, Robert Kidwell, Farrah Short, Sherwet H. Witherington, Payton Thornton
News & Press
Senator's Hold on FTC Nominee Robs Agency of Political Diversity, Regulatory Attorneys Say
January 29, 2024
Are the Google, Amazon Suits This Generation's Microsoft?
November 26, 2023
FTC-DOJ's Proposed Merger Guidelines Gain Health Care's Scorn, Agriculture's Praise
September 19, 2023
Thirteen Mintz Members Named To Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators List
September 11, 2023
FTC, DOJ Guidelines Could Hinder Health Care Industry Mergers, Antitrust Lawyers Say
August 17, 2023
FTC Pharma Merger Digest May Offer Policy Clues
June 15, 2023
FTC Shift In Compulsory Process Lends Staff More Clout
September 12, 2022
Poultry Sector Wage-Fixing Case Shows Info Exchange Risks
August 31, 2022
Five Mintz Attorneys Recognized as Client Service All-Stars by BTI
February 08, 2022
Biden Enforcers Fail to Stem Rising Merger Tide
October 22, 2021
Mintz Recognized by Chambers USA 2019
April 26, 2019
Antitrust Case against BCBS to Continue under Per Se Standard
February 1, 2019
Chambers USA 2018 Ranks Mintz Attorneys & Practices
May 03, 2018
Mintz Honored by JD Supra's 2018 Reader's Choice Awards
March 19, 2018
Antitrust World Eyes Justices On AmEx Steering Case
February 23, 2018
Hospital Consolidation
December 4, 2017
What’s at Stake in the AmEx Merchant Rules Case?
October 16, 2017
Physician Practice Acquisitions And Antitrust Scrutiny
September 19, 2017
DOJ About-Face In High Court AmEx Case Has Attys Puzzled
August 9, 2017
Chambers USA 2017 Ranks Mintz Attorneys & Practices
May 26, 2017
Discord Between Ballad Health and the FTC
April 23, 2017
Mintz Named Top Firm in Energy and Eleven Attorneys Featured in JD Supra’s 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards
March 20, 2017
Emboldened, the FTC Seems Ready to Fight More Mergers
November 21, 2016
Chicago Hospital Case Could Hinge on Efficiency Argument
November 3, 2016
Mintz Represents Seventh Generation, Inc. in Sale to Unilever
October 27, 2016
FTC wins appeal to halt Penn State Hershey/PinnacleHealth merger
September 28, 2016
DOJ Loss In AmEx Case Could Imperil Hospital Steering Suit
September 27, 2016
Hospital Merger Stalls After FTC Court Win
September 27, 2016
Six Mintz Members to Speak at 2016 IBA Annual Conference
September 12, 2016
What Have Merchants Gained From Payment Card Litigation?
August 10, 2016
5 Questions To Watch As DOJ Targets Carolinas HealthCare
June 13, 2016
5 Ways to Ease the Pain of an Antitrust Review
May 23, 2016
Rodeo Associations Fail to Rein in Each Other in Round 1
February 9, 2016
Mintz’s Wins Significant Antitrust Case for C-SPAN
June 10, 2013
Mintz Advises on Top Greentech Deal of 2012
January 08, 2013
Events & Speaking
Antitrust in Healthcare
American Bar Association and American Health Lawyers Association
The Ritz-Carlton Arlington, VA
Bruce is a prominent antitrust attorney who is accomplished at the full range of antitrust matters: litigation and class actions, government merger reviews and investigations, and cartel-related issues. Although the health care, communications, and retail industries are a particular focus for Bruce, he represents companies in many other sectors. His client roster ranges from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies to nonprofit organizations. Bruce served as Managing Member of the firm’s Washington, DC office for 12 years and on the firm’s Executive Committee for 13 years.
"Bruce is an experienced and capable antitrust attorney, with a strong analytical ability."
Recognition & Awards
BTI Consulting Group: Client Service All-Star (2022 – 2023)
Chambers USA: District of Columbia – Antitrust (2012 – 2022)
JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards: Top Author in Antitrust & Trade Regulation (2020, 2022)
Best Lawyers in America: Antitrust Law (2012 – 2021)
Washington DC Super Lawyers: Antitrust Litigation (2012 – 2023)
Lawdragon: "500 Leading Litigators in America" (2022-2023)
Nightingale’s Healthcare News: Outstanding Healthcare Antitrust Lawyer (2007 – 2009)
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
Bruce is a prominent antitrust attorney who is accomplished at the full range of antitrust matters: litigation and class actions, government merger reviews and investigations, and cartel-related issues. Although the health care, communications, and retail industries are a particular focus for Bruce, he represents companies in many other sectors. His client roster ranges from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies to nonprofit organizations. Bruce served as Managing Member of the firm’s Washington, DC office for 12 years and on the firm’s Executive Committee for 13 years.
"Bruce is an experienced and capable antitrust attorney, with a strong analytical ability."
Involvement
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
- Member, Federal Communications Bar Association
- Member, National Health Lawyers Association