Hill Wellford > Vinson & Elkins LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile
Vinson & Elkins LLP Offices
2200 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW
SUITE 500 WEST
WASHINGTON, DC 20037-1701
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
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Hill Wellford
Work Department
Antitrust
Position
Partner
Career
Hill Wellford heads the firm’s Antitrust Government Investigations team and is co-head of its HSR and CFIUS groups. Since leaving the DOJ Antitrust Division for private practice, he has focused on matters in the energy, technology, pharmaceutical and media industries, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Hill’s antitrust practice includes matters in the Americas, Asia and Europe. He files dozens of “merger control” notifications yearly under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR Act) and parallel international laws, and his non-deal work includes cartel and criminal investigations, civil conduct challenges, and jury, bench, and administrative trials. He also counsels third parties involved in merger divestitures and has been appointed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as counsel for agency-installed divestiture monitors and trustees.
In Hill’s work with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), he assesses the deal risks of a national security review and makes voluntary and mandatory CFIUS filings, in compliance with the 2018 Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) and the Pilot Program rules on Covered Transactions in “critical industries.”
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
With a strong foothold in the chemicals, agriculture, and heavy industry sectors, Vinson & Elkins LLP’s antitrust practice stands out for its strong track record advising its clients in large multidistrict litigations and class actions. Key names in the team include practice co-head Craig Seebald, in Washington DC, who also co-heads the firm’s litigation and regulatory offering, and antitrust co-heads Hill Wellford, a former Antitrust Division trial lawyer, and Jason Powers, based in Washington DC and Houston, respectively. Seebald’s broad practice focuses on defending multinational corporations in cartel and price-fixing investigations and subsequent follow-on litigation, while Powers has particular expertise in the energy and oil and gas industries. Washington DC’s Stephen Medlock is a key contact for multidistrict class actions alleging monopolization and has notable experience acting on both the plaintiff’s and defendant’s sides. In San Francisco, Dylan Ballard and Mike Scarborough handle Sherman and Clayton Act cases and competitor-on-competitor litigation, respectively.
United States > Antitrust > Cartel
With considerable growth in recent years, Vinson & Elkins LLP is highlighted by clients for offering ‘years of experience and great teamwork’, and is well placed to handle a varied caseload for clients from industries such as technology, automotive, airline, financial services and transportation. Hill Wellford and Houston-based Jason Powers jointly head the group, with Wellford acting in many of the firm’s international mandates, and Powers offering a specialism in energy-related matters. Craig Seebald co-leads the firm’s litigation and regulatory practice, with his capabilities encompassing multijurisdictional cartel investigations and follow-on litigation. Darren Tucker specializes in investigations in the technology, energy and pharmaceutical sectors. In San Francisco, Michael Scarborough and Dylan Ballard are experienced trial lawyers, who frequently represent domestic and international clients in proceedings involving federal and state enforcement agencies. Unless stated otherwise, mentioned lawyers are based in Washington DC.
United States > Antitrust > Merger control
Fielding a strong team, praised for its ‘great expertise’, Vinson & Elkins LLP is routinely involved in complex and high-profile clearances across highly scrutinized sectors such as energy, tech, chemicals, and pharma. The team was strengthened by the arrival of Michael Scarborough and Dylan Ballard who have expanded the firm’s merger-related investigations and litigation work in San Francisco, while Kara Kuritz reinforces the firm’s DOJ and FTC expertise. As well as handling major US clearances, related investigations, and litigation, the firm is also adept at handling cross-border mandates. Co-head Hill Wellford handles HSR filings, government investigations, and litigation for clients in a range of industries, while fellow co-head Jason Powers specializes in energy related litigation. Darren Tucker regularly handles transactions in the tech, energy, and pharma sectors, and counsel Evan Miller is noted for his expertise in government investigations, HSR filings, and civil litigation.
Lawyer Rankings
- Cartel United States > Antitrust
- Merger control United States > Antitrust
- Civil litigation/class actions: defense United States > Antitrust
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Government > Government relations
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
Firm Rankings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas
- Finance > Project finance
- Transport > Aviation and air travel: finance
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Government > Government contracts
- Tax > International tax
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Real estate > Real estate
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Industry focus > Sport
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism