Randy Smith is a partner and co-chair of the firm's Antitrust Group. He is an elected member of the firm's Management Board and Executive Committee. His recent matters range from lead antitrust counsel for AT&T in its acquisition of BellSouth (as well as for SBC Communications Inc. in its acquisition of AT&T), to multi-jurisdictional cartel investigations, to class action antitrust litigation. Examples include:
- DuPont acquisitions of Danisco and MECS.
- United Technologies acquisition of GE Security.
- AT&T acquisition of Centennial Wireless.
- Rio Tinto sale of Wyoming mining operation to Arch Minerals.
- Counseling hi-tech company regarding licensing strategies.
- Third party representations in DOJ investigation of biotech transaction and FTC investigation of on-line advertising transaction.
- FTC investigations of tying, exclusive licensing and standard setting issues.
- DOJ investigations of teaming agreement and Clayton 8 issues.
- Multidistrict class action antitrust cases involving AT&T's iPhone.
- Defense of antitrust counterclaim in trade secret case for DuPont.
- Robinson-Patman Act litigation in building products.
- An application for corporate amnesty from criminal prosecution under the Justice Department's "Leniency Program."
- Analysis of purchasing joint ventures for industrial clients.
Mr. Smith's practice involves the full range of antitrust issues associated with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, trade associations, cartel enforcement, e-business, the Robinson-Patman Act, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and the interaction of the antitrust laws and intellectual property. In addition, based on his experience in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC, he advises on advertising, warranty, and other consumer law issues.
His principal clients include Alcoa, AT&T Inc., CSX Transportation, DuPont, Enterprise Holdings, Rambus, Inc., Rio Tinto, and United Technologies Corporation (Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Otis Elevators, Carrier Air Conditioning, Hamilton Sundstrand Aerospace Systems, Sikorsky Helicopters and UTC Fire & Security).
Mr. Smith recently was recognized by The Best Lawyers In America 2010 in the area of antitrust law and was named to the 2010 Washington, D.C. "Super Lawyer" list. He is recommended by every significant publication ranking antitrust lawyers, including Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers Global: The World's Leading Business Lawyers, Legal Media Group's Expert Guide to Competition and Antitrust Lawyers, and the Global Competition Review's GCR 100.
Prior to joining Crowell & Moring in 1981, Mr. Smith completed six years of service with the Federal Trade Commission, where his positions included Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Attorney Advisor to the Chairman, Acting Assistant Director of the Los Angeles Regional Office, and Assistant to the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Mr. Smith obtained his law degree in 1975 from Stanford University Law School, where he was a member of the Stanford Law Review. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tulane University in 1972. He has published articles and commentary on recent antitrust developments, and has been on the faculty of numerous antitrust programs.
In The News
Mr. Smith was featured in the June 2007 edition of Of Counsel. During the interview he talks about his career, the legal profession, and opines on why he decided to practice in the area of antitrust. Click here to download the interview, "Randy Smith: The Man Major Telecom Players Call Upon to Clear Antitrust Hurdles," featured in Of Counsel, Vol. 26, No. 6