Alexander Okuliar > Morrison Foerster > Palo Alto, United States > Lawyer Profile

Morrison Foerster’s team works together seamlessly with practitioners from the firm’s global office network, with a particular focus on the technology, telecommunications, financial services, transportation, healthcare and life sciences fields. Headed by Lisa Phelan and the ‘incredibly knowledgeable’ Alexander Okuliar, the group has a notable specialism in advising domestic and international tech companies, and frequently represents Japan-based clients facing antitrust issues in the US. Phelan’s recent workload includes the representation of a producer of expeditionary products in a bid-rigging DOJ investigation into shelter sales to the US military, as well as the support of two national healthcare companies with DOJ no-poach investigations and follow-on civil damage litigation. Described by clients as ‘smart, responsive and strategic’, San Francisco’s Eliot Adelson handles all aspects of internal and government investigations in various jurisdictions, while former DOJ Antitrust Division trial attorney Megan Gerking regularly advises clients on antitrust issues arising from industry consortiums and trade association activities, and is recommended for multidistrict antitrust litigation. Joseph Folio and Rob Manoso are both experienced trial lawyers and were promoted to partner in January 2024. Unless stated otherwise, all mentioned practitioners are based in Washington DC.

Morrison Foerster offers a broad nationwide antitrust practice with a strong presence across New York, Washington DC and San Francisco, working with clients in regulated industry antitrust issues sectors, particularly in the tech, telecoms, and life sciences fields. The team is well-versed in merger clearance processes, including FTC Second Request investigations, as well as cross-border matters. The practice is jointly steered by Alexander Okuliar and Lisa Phelan. Praised as ‘smart, practical, and responsive’, Okuliar has deep agency experience and remains active on high-profile transactions, while Phelan is noted for her expertise in contentious investigations. Jeff Jaeckel is a key port of call for domestic and international corporations on a host of antitrust matters. Attorneys are based in Washington DC unless otherwise stated.

Fielding a strong bench with significant agency experience, the antitrust and competition practice at Morrison Foerster counts leading pharma companies, media entities, and prominent tech corporations among its impressive roster of clients. The group is particularly adept at handling class actions following cartel investigations, as well as litigated merger challenges and cases concerning market dominance claims. Alexander Okuliar and former Antitrust Division criminal enforcement chief Lisa Phelan jointly oversee the team from Washington DC; Okuliar is a key contact for competitor-on-competitor antitrust litigation. Other key individuals in Washington DC are David Cross, Megan Gerking, and Mary Kaiser. Cross has a broad antitrust practice that covers monopolization and price-fixing allegations, including algorithmic price-fixing; Kaiser is another name to note here. Additionally active in the algorithmic price-fixing space, Gerking, a former DOJ antitrust trial attorney, also takes point on litigated merger clearances. On the West Coast, San Francisco’s Bonnie Lau and Eliot Adelson have extensive experience advising tech sector clients on multidistrict litigations, government enforcement actions, and class actions.