Steve Harris is Chair of Baker & McKenzie’s North America Antitrust & Competition Group. Mr. Harris is globally recognized as a leading antitrust lawyer by publications including Chambers USA (2004-2011), International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers (2000-2012), International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (2012), PLC Which lawyer? (2001-2011), and Baltimore & Washington DC's Top Lawyers (2012).
Practice Focus
Mr. Harris practices antitrust law, including litigation, cartel defense, merger control filings and administrative proceedings before US and international courts and agencies.
Representative Legal Matters
- Represented major US consumer products company in antitrust cartel investigation and follow-on class action litigation.
- Represented European chemicals manufacturer in antitrust cartel investigation in the US and EU, and in follow-on class action litigation.
- Represented a leading personal computer manufacturer in an antitrust and patent infringement action involving MPEG data compression technology.
- Represented a major international airline before antitrust and regulatory agencies in Asia and the US in a successful global effort to retain its multi-year joint business agreement with one of Asia Pacific’s leading airlines.
- Represented leading US biotechnology company in worldwide antitrust and merger control issues related to USD500 million acquisition by European multinational crop science. This matter was granted early termination by the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division.
- Represented Prestige Brands Holdings Inc. in the worldwide antitrust and merger control issues related to its USD660 million acquisition of the over-the-counter pharmaceutical brands business of GlaxoSmithKline, Prestige's largest acquisition ever. The matter involved two transactions and interesting issues under the US Federal Trade Commission's aggregation rule; the FTC granted early termination.
- Represented a leading global information services company, in the worldwide antitrust and merger control proceedings; the merger presented several unusual competition law issues, including the application of the "media merger" rules in Germany and Austria.
- Represented a leading specialty minerals company based in France, in the US antitrust and merger control issues related to its USD665 million acquisition of a talc business.
- Represented a leading global medical technology company, in the worldwide antitrust and merger control proceedings in its acquisition of a Swedish company involving issues related to complementary versus competitive products in several jurisdictions.
- Represented a leading multinational resources company in the review of a joint venture with another large resources company, under the China Anti-Monopoly Law.
Education
- J.D., with honors, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, from Columbia University (1982)
- Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law (Columbia Law School), certified with honors (1982)
- A.B., magna cum laude, Cornell University (1977); selected as College Scholar of the College of Arts & Sciences
Jurisdictional Admissions:
- District of Columbia – USA (2003)
- England & Wales (solicitor) – UK (2009)
- Georgia – USA (1982)
- New York – USA (2004)
Court Admissions:
- U.S. Supreme Court – USA (1998)
- Supreme Court of England & Wales – UK (2009)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit – USA (1998)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit – USA (1985)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit – USA (1998)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit – USA (1999)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit – USA (1983)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit – USA (1998)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit – USA (1998)
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia – USA (1999)
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia – USA (1988)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia – USA (1983)
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland – USA (1998)
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York – USA (2005)
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York – USA (2005)
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims – USA (1996)
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Bar Association – Section of Antitrust Law, Member of International Task Force and Liaison to the Inter-Pacific Bar Association; Former International Officer and Member of the governing Council
- Inter-Pacific Bar Association, Chair of Competition Law Committee
- International Bar Association - Antitrust & Competition Section
- American Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Non-Governmental Advisor to the International Competition Network (Unilateral Conduct Working Group)
- Member, Advisory Board, Antitrust & Trade Reg. Report (BNA)
- Member, United States Council for International Business, Competition Committee
- U.S Chamber of Commerce: Member, Antitrust Council; International Competition Policy Working Group
- Member, Roundtable of Intellectual Property and Competition in China (Chief Judge Rader, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Chair)
Corporate Social Responsibility
- Former Chair and current member, Southeastern Regional Board of the US Fund for UNICEF
- Current Chair, Washington DC Advisory Council of the US Fund for UNICEF
Baker & McKenzie LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (USA) and is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.