Photo of Creighton Macy

Creighton Macy

Partner
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Creighton Macy is the Chair of Baker McKenzie's award-winning North America Antitrust & Competition Practice Group. Creighton is recognized as a leading global antitrust practitioner. He is lauded by clients for, among other things, his "first-rate" practices and always being "laser focused on figuring out the pathway for success."

Creighton has extensive experience representing clients in a wide variety of antitrust matters, including mergers & acquisitions, investigations by the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, private litigation, and counseling on issues such as antitrust compliance. Before joining the Firm, Creighton served as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel in the DOJ Antitrust Division, working as a senior advisor to the Assistant Attorney General on civil and criminal antitrust enforcement and policy matters, as well as budget and personnel issues. During Creighton's time at the DOJ, the Antitrust Division undertook an unprecedented volume of high-profile civil and criminal matters.

Creighton began his career as a Trial Attorney in the Litigation III and Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture sections of the Antitrust Division, working on a number of notable merger and civil non-merger investigations and cases. Before rejoining the Antitrust Division as its Chief of Staff, he was a member of another global law firm's antitrust practice, where he advised clients on a wide range of US and international antitrust issues.

Creighton is consistently and globally recognized for his market-leading antitrust practice with respect to high-stakes transactions, investigations, and compliance and counseling work. For example, clients have noted that Creighton 'shines above the rest' due to his first-rate cartel and merger control-related practice and "is among the hardest working antitrust lawyers out there - he is laser focused on figuring out the pathway for success."

Creighton also frequently speaks and publishes articles relating to a variety of antitrust issues, and has been recognized many times for his contributions and thought-leadership on these issues.

Creighton is a long-standing leader in the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section. He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board on Section Reserves. In previous roles, he served as Reporter of the Presidential Transition Task Force, Chair of the Trade, Sports, and Professional Associations Committee, and Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Task Force. He is highly involved in mentoring programs, including with the Antitrust Law Section, as well as Marquette University Law School, where he previously served as the DC Representative of the Alumni Board.

Creighton graduated from Marquette University, where he was an NCAA Division I Academic All-American tennis player. During his time at Marquette, he was awarded the Athletic Department's Cura Personalis award by his peers, as well as several leadership awards. Creighton is a long-time mentor to current and former Marquette University athletes and more recently, he was named the Athletic Department's Young Alumnus of the Year Award.

Practice Focus

Creighton advises clients on all aspects of the antitrust regulatory and litigation process. He has significant experience in a diverse range of sectors such as software, media, semiconductor, financial services, agriculture, chemical, pharmaceutical, construction, transportation, sports, consumer goods, aviation, music, and motion pictures.

Representative Legal Matters

Since joining the Firm, an example of matters that Creighton has worked on are:

  • Advised Nielsen Holdings on its approximately USD 10 billion sale to a Buyers Consortia.
  • Advised Sika AG on its approximately USD 6 billion acquisition of MBCC Group.
  • Advised Rio Tinto on its approximately USD 700 million acquisition of a 50% equity stake in Giampaolo Group's Matalco Inc. business.
  • Advised CSL Seqirus on its approximately USD 4.3 billion collaboration with Arcturus. 
  • Advised H. Lundbeck A/S on its approximately USD 1.95 billion acquisition of Alder BioPharmaceuticals.
  • Advised Galapagos NV on its approximately USD 5.1 billion collaboration with Gilead Sciences Inc.
  • Advised Bayer AG on its approximately USD 4 billion acquisition of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc.
  • Advised The Nielsen Company on its approximately USD 2.7 billion sale of Nielsen IQ to Advent International.
  • Advised Cineplex on its approximately USD 2.8 billion acquisition by Cineworld.
  • Advised Sika AG on its approximately EUR 2.5 billion acquisition of Parex S.A.
  • Advised Bayer AG on its approximately USD 2 billion acquisition of Vividion Therapeutics, Inc.
  • Advised Chr. Hansen Holding A/S on its approximately USD 530 million acquisition of UAS Laboratories LLC.
  • Advised Snowflake on its approximately USD 800 million acquisition of Streamlit.
  • Advised Nuance on the sale of its approximately USD 400 million Document Imaging business to Kofax.

Professional Honors

Awards and Representative Professional Honors:

  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2023)
  • The 40 Under 40, recognizing "The Best of the Future of the Legal Profession," Bloomberg Law (2022)
  • Thought Leader for Competition, Who's Who Legal (2022, 2023)
  • Global Leader for Competition, Who's Who Legal (2021, 2022, 2023)
  • Marquette University, Athletic Department Young Alumnus Award (2021)
  • Rising Star for Antitrust Litigation, Super Lawyers (2018-2023)
  • Top 40 Under 40 Competition Lawyer, 2020 edition, Global Competition Review (2020)
  • Lawyer of the Year, Under 40 nominee, Global Competition Review (2019, 2022)
  • Future Leader for Competition, Who's Who Legal (2016-2020)
  • Winner of Best Business Article, Antitrust Writing Awards (2020)
  • Winner of Best Academic Article, Antitrust Writing Awards (2019)

Representative Practice Rankings:

  • Ranked 4th in Global Elite Rankings, GCR 100 (2024)
  • Ranked 1st in Cartels, GCR 100 (2024)
  • Ranked 4th in Non-cartel Defense, GCR 100 (2024)
  • Ranked 5 in Merger Control GCR 100 (2024)
  • Band 2 in Competition/Antitrust, Chambers Global 2023

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Bar Association - Antitrust Law Section, Advisory Board on Section Reserves
  • Marquette University Law School, Alumni Board - past-Board Member and Washington, DC Representative

Admissions

  • District of Columbia~United States (2011)
  • Virginia~United States (2008)
  • Wisconsin~United States (2008)

Education

  • Marquette University (JD, cum laude) (2008)
  • Marquette University (BA, cum laude) (2004)

Languages

  • English

Publications

  • Co-author, "United States: 2024 HSR Notification thresholds announced," Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, 24 January 2024
  • Co-author, “United States: DOJ and FTC issue final merger guidelines,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, 20 December 2023
  • Co-author, “United States: DOJ and FTC ramp up enforcement against interlocking directorates,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, 15 September 2023
  • Interview, "How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Surround Yourself With a Strong, Deep Team and Deploy That Team Often,' Says Creighton Macy of Baker McKenzie," Law.com, 7 June 2023
  • Co-author, “United States: DOJ and FTC propose new merger guidelines," Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, 20 July 2023
  • Co-author “United States Antitrust authorities propose revisions and additions to the premerger notification process,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus 29 June, 2023
  • Co-author, “United States: Antitrust Division agrees to mid-trial settlement to resolve merger challenge,” Baker McKenzie InsightPlus, 10 May 2023