Deidre Johnson focuses her practice on antitrust. As head of the firm's Premerger Notification practice, she counsels clients on their obligations under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and foreign premerger regimes and has successfully guided numerous clients through the premerger process, responding to informal inquiries and second requests as necessary. She routinely represents buyers, shareholders and sellers in financial and strategic acquisitions of all types from leveraged buy-outs, stock acquisitions, joint venture formations, and public takeovers to licensing transactions and co-development/co-promotion agreements.
Deidre has prepared several hundred HSR filings and routinely coordinates merger clearances in multiple jurisdictions including the European Union and its member states, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Turkey, Russia, South Africa and South Korea, among others. Her clients include multi-national corporations, private equity, venture capital and hedge funds, mutual funds and investment advisors; she also counsels executive officers and directors in HSR Act compliance in connection with the grant and exercise of stock and stock options. She also advises clients with respect to permissible pre-clearance and pre-closing activities, including information exchanges.
Deidre is recognized as a leading practitioner by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America and Legal 500. She is a premier thought leader on premerger issues and is sought after for her in-depth knowledge and pragmatic advice.
Experience
- $26 billion private equity-backed radio station buy-out involving market overlap and requiring merger clearance in eight countries
- $2.4 billion food chain buy-out involving three-member consortium and filings in the U.S. and Germany
- $11 billion technology company privatization by seven-member consortium
- $471 million take-over bid for Japanese public company, requiring notification in the U.S., South Africa and the European Union
- Formation of Korean biologics joint venture, requiring notification in the U.S., South Korea and Brazil