Law firm Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has appointed Lisa Phelan as a partner in the firm’s Global Antitrust Law Practice and Investigations + White Collar Group based in Washington DC.
For the last 16 years, Phelan has been Chief of the National Criminal Enforcement and Washington Criminal I Sections of the Antitrust Division at the US Department of Justice, after previously serving as a senior criminal litigator.
As Chief of the National Criminal Enforcement and Washington Criminal I Sections of the Antitrust Division, Phelan supervised and coordinated all investigative and litigation work on international and national criminal cartel cases. She regularly coordinated investigations and prosecutions with cartel enforcers throughout the world, including the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Brazil, among others. She also regularly interfaced with other units when investigations raised non-antitrust issues. Phelan prosecuted more than 300 federal criminal cases and oversaw dozens of jury trials.
“I am delighted to welcome Lisa to MoFo. With Lisa’s outstanding experience, her leaving the government as the senior most lawyer on criminal antitrust and cartel matters represents a rare opportunity to substantially enhance our offerings in those areas,” says Larren Nashelsky, chair of Morrison & Foerster. “Lisa’s joining us also highlights our continued commitment to hiring lawyers with high-level government, white collar and investigations experience to grow the firm’s presence in Washington DC. Our focus on this strategic priority is helping us meet our clients’ increasingly complex and expanding regulatory requirements.”
Jeff Jaeckel, co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law Practice, adds: “In the last decade, cartel enforcement has grown from a small piece of antitrust enforcement in the US into one of the pillars of international competition enforcement. Lisa has a wealth of experience in this area, and we are delighted to be able to provide her expertise to our clients around the globe.”
Phelan’s addition extends Morrison & Foerster’s already strong global antitrust bench, which currently includes attorneys based in offices around the world – Berlin, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington DC – who are active in criminal antitrust matters.
“I was attracted to MoFo because of its premier global legal talent,” says Phelan. “The firm understands that a company facing an international cartel investigation needs expert guidance in multiple jurisdictions and forums, and it has built the right team across key locations to walk clients through the most complex situations. I look forward to working with my new colleagues at MoFo to provide the type of counsel companies are seeking.”
