Zak Goodwin is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s antitrust practice, which he rejoined in 2024 after serving as antitrust counsel at a Fortune 500 life sciences company. He represents clients with respect to complex antitrust issues in mergers and acquisitions, government investigations, and litigation. His in-house perspective adds a valuable dimension to his counseling on the full range of antitrust issues.
Prior to first joining Ropes & Gray, Zak was a trial attorney in the Technology and Financial Services Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. At the Antitrust Division, he participated in substantial merger and conduct investigations in a variety of industries, including software, semiconductor manufacturing, and mobile devices. He was also a member of the team that successfully litigated to enjoin Anthem, Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Cigna Corporation.
Experience
- Represented Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc. in its successful antitrust advocacy with the DOJ in connection with its merger with Tufts Health Plan, Inc.
- Represented Medtronic plc in its successful antitrust advocacy with the FTC in connection with its $1.1 billion acquisition of Intersect ENT.
- Obtained unconditional clearances in multiple jurisdictions around the world for Thermo Fisher’s acquisition of Olink Proteomics, a transaction into which regulators in Germany and the UK undertook substantial investigations to assess the complicated products and antitrust issues involved.*
- Served as a member of the Antitrust Division’s team that successfully litigated to enjoin Anthem Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Cigna Corporation, the largest health insurance acquisition at the time.*
- Investigated the proposed merger between Lam Research Corp., a supplier of semiconductor fabrication equipment, and KLA-Tencor, a provider of metrology and inspection tools. The parties abandoned their merger after being informed of the Antitrust Division’s serious competitive concerns.*
- Investigated Iron Mountain, Inc.’s acquisition of Recall Holdings Limited, which resulted in a civil complaint and settlement requiring divestiture of records management assets in 15 metropolitan areas.*
- Advises leading companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, technology, insurance, and manufacturing industries on a variety of antitrust issues associated with mergers and acquisitions.
- Represents clients before the FTC and DOJ in antitrust investigations by drafting advocacy, assisting clients in responding to agency requests, and participating in meetings with agency staff, among other efforts.
* Experience prior to joining Ropes & Gray