Jim Lerner is a global antitrust lawyer with three decades of experience in counseling and litigation. His expertise extends to criminal and civil government investigations, internal investigations, complex multi-jurisdictional antitrust class action litigation, developing and implementing compliance programs, and mergers and acquisitions.
Jim is a skilled leader who has managed large teams of lawyers and support professionals in numerous U.S. and international criminal and civil antitrust investigations and litigations throughout his career at top international antitrust law firms including Winston & Strawn, Dewey & Leboeuf, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He is experienced in litigating and counseling clients spanning a diverse array of industries including online services, telecommunications, media, consumer and industrial electronics, optical equipment, financial services, cosmetics, food and feed additives, automotive parts, and building and construction materials. He also counsels on mergers and acquisitions, competitor collaborations, and distribution issues.
Jim has defended clients in multidistrict litigation, direct purchaser class actions, indirect purchaser class actions, individual actions, and qui tam (False Claims Act) suits. Jim routinely assists companies with internal antitrust investigations. In addition, he develops for clients individualized antitrust compliance policies and devises programs to assist them in implementing, monitoring and training employees on these policies. Jim views his role foremost as a counselor who uses his years of experience to assist clients in advancing their goals, whether by assisting them in identifying and mitigating risks before they develop into problems, or by finding creative ways to address the problems that do inevitably arise in increasingly competitive and complex business environments.