Global law firm Baker McKenzie announced today that leading antitrust cartel lawyer Jeffrey Martino has joined the Firm as a partner in New York, bringing extensive government and private practice experience to further expand the Firm's market-leading antitrust and competition capabilities. Jeff will co-lead Baker McKenzie's Global Cartel Task Force, ranked by Global Competition Review as the world’s No. 1 cartel defense practice in 2021.
Jeff represents multinational corporations in high-stakes criminal antitrust investigations by the US Department of Justice and other federal and state agencies. He has deep experience working with financial regulators and competition agencies around the world, and advises companies and their senior executives on best practices to avoid risk and ensure compliance. Jeff joins Baker McKenzie from BakerHostetler.
Jeff previously served for nearly two decades as a federal prosecutor at the DOJ, including five years as Chief of the Antitrust Division's New York Office. He served as first chair on some of the DOJ's most complex and high-profile criminal antitrust trials and investigations. Jeff's work at the DOJ also included substantial cross-border antitrust enforcement matters, working closely with competition agencies in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe.
Jeff is the third former senior-ranking DOJ antitrust official to join Baker McKenzie in recent years. The practice has more than doubled its headcount in the US over the last three years as it continues to provide business guidance to the world's largest companies on antitrust and competition issues.
Jeff played key roles in many market-leading criminal antitrust developments over the last decade. He oversaw international cartel prosecutions that entangled the world’s largest banks. He led the first-ever Antitrust Division prosecution to recognize a corporate compliance program at the sentencing phase, and he played a key role in developing the Antitrust Division’s recent policy change to consider crediting compliance programs at the charging phase. He also has expertise handling criminal antitrust investigations involving "no poach" agreements in labor markets and corruption in public procurement, both of which are current DOJ priorities.
"Jeff brings an extraordinary wealth of criminal antitrust experience from his distinguished career at the DOJ, and he is well known to competition enforcers around the world," said Mark Hamer, Chair of Baker McKenzie's Global Antitrust & Competition Practice. "Antitrust matters are increasingly global, and our multinational clients need practical guidance on antitrust risk across jurisdictions. Jeff is a perfect complement to our strong global bench of antitrust experts."
Baker McKenzie's Antitrust & Competition practice is the largest in the world with more than 300 practitioners across 60 offices and 43 countries globally. The practice is a Chambers Global Band 2 antitrust practice, and is ranked No. 3 in Global Competition Review's 2021 Global Elite list of premier competition practices.
"Our practice leads the market in helping companies navigate antitrust risk as well as deal with their most high-profile matters, attracting top practitioners like Jeff who bring senior level government experience that our clients deeply value," said Creighton Macy, Chair of Baker McKenzie's North America Antitrust & Competition Practice. "After working closely with Jeff at the Antitrust Division, I am so pleased to be working with him again at Baker McKenzie. We are elated to add Jeff to our team."
Added Colin Murray, Baker McKenzie's North America Chief Executive Officer, "Our Antitrust and Competition practice is in a class by itself in its global reach, and in the depth and breadth of its capabilities. Jeff's knowledge and experience further expands our offerings and will be a huge value-add for our clients."
Peter Tomczak, Chair of the Firm's North America Litigation and Government Enforcement practice, added, “Jeff adds further depth to our talented team and sharpens its focus on government enforcement trends and issues that matter most to our clients as they navigate doing business globally. We are delighted to have him join our team.”
"The global reach of Baker McKenzie’s antitrust platform is unmatched, and I am excited to be a part of such a talented team,” said Jeff. “I look forward to helping to grow this market-leading practice.”