Christopher Yates > Latham & Watkins LLP > San Francisco, United States > Lawyer Profile

With multiple victories against enforcement agencies in merger litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP is a trusted advisor to firms facing challenges to their high-profile and critical transactions. The firm is highly regarded for its comprehensive antitrust and competition expertise, including trials, investigations, global merger clearance, and cartel defense. The team’s skilled litigators have consistently demonstrated the ability to defeat cases pre-trial and secure favorable outcomes in trials involving allegations of conspiracy, monopolization, and price-fixing. Based in Washington DC, Mike Egge serves as global antitrust and competition chair. In the Bay Area, Al Pfeiffer has a strong track record of achieving victories in trials, arbitrations, summary judgments, and appeals in complex antitrust cases. Also on the West Coast, vice chair Belinda Lee brings deep strategic insight to managing sweeping multidistrict litigation. Bay Area-based Christopher Yates is a prominent figure in sports antitrust litigation, while in DC Jennifer Giordano offers broad expertise in monopoly, price-fixing, unfair competition, and price discrimination claims.

Consulting a varied roster of sports bodies, leagues, governing bodies, federations, teams, and media companies, as well as private equity firms, Latham & Watkins LLP particularly stands out for high-profile antitrust and other litigation for sports governing bodies. The group continues to represent US soccer in a high profile antitrust action brought by the North American Soccer League (NASL), demonstrating its strength in this area of sports law litigation. The group also excels in large M&A deals in the sports industry, particularly in private equity investments of sports teams, and asset acquisitions for portfolio companies. Notably, the group was involved in high value, majority stake acquisitions of Premier League clubs or NBA franchises in 2024. Century City-based Adam J. Sullins heads up the team, alongside Frank Saviano in New York and Chris Yates in San Francisco, who are well supported by Justin Hamill in New York, a key name for large scale mergers and acquisitions in sport. At associate level, Adam Rosenthal is a key name in the group, and can be highlighted for his experience in sports league governance and rules. Kendall Johnson is notable for media rights deals.