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- Bernard (Barry) A. Nigro Jr.
Bernard A. Nigro Jr. (“Barry”)is Global Chair of Fried Frank's Antitrust and Competition Department. Barry previously served as the Department of Justice’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust and the Federal Trade Commission’s Deputy Director for the Bureau of Competition.
During his almost 40 years of practice and government service, Barry has handled hundreds of civil and criminal matters in dozens of industries ranging from concrete to high tech and everything in between. Barry has been involved in some of the largest M&A transactions during the past decade, served as the antitrust compliance monitor inUnited States v. Apple Inc.(S.D.N.Y. 2013), worked on a variety of cartel matters, and counseled on complex compliance and litigation matters. While in government, Barry supported the rollout of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, initiatives to modernize the merger review process, and revisions to the merger guidelines and remedies policies.
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Businessrecognizes Barry as a leading individual in Antitrust, quoting a client who notes that "Barry is very adept at getting deals across the finish lines. He knows the inside game very well." Another clients notes “he is a skilled and knowledgeable antitrust lawyer with a very practical approach.” AnotherChamberssource says Barry “knows how to marry business and antitrust.”
Barry is also recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” byLegal 500in Antitrust: Merger Control, where clients describe him as “the rare combination of DOJ and FTC expertise that is invaluable to clients who need to understand the agencies’ latest thinking” and note that “his decades of experience generally, and recent experience as the number-two lawyer in the Antitrust Division, make him a knowledgeable and skilled counselor on a broad array of government enforcement matters.”
Other clients tellLegal 500that Barry is “fabulous” and “figures out quickly what’s important and focuses energies there.” Clients also report that “[n]o one compares to Barry Nigro in terms of goodwill” and also note his “years of experience make his counsel and perspective, particularly seeing what is coming down the road, exceptional.” They also have said that he “understands our business and our objectives and provides solutions to achieve them.” Barry is also recognized by theLexology Index Thought Leaders: Competition 2025report.
Barry’s commitment to public service includes having served as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law (numbering over 10,000 members from across the globe), President of the George Washington University Law Alumni Association, a member of the Executive Committee of Higher Achievement’s DC President’s Council, a member of St. Albans School’s Development Committee, a member of Bishop Ireton High School’s Campaign Leadership Committee, and a member of Georgetown University’s Class of 1982 Executive Committee, among many other community service roles.
Work highlights:
- HPS in its $12 billion sale to BlackRock
- Thoma Bravo in its $2.3 billion acquisition of ForgeRock
- ClassPass in its acquisition by Mindbody
- Bayer’s $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto*
- Sprint Corporation’s $26 billion merger with T-Mobile US, Inc.*
- BB&T Corporation’s merger of equals with SunTrust Bank, Inc.*
- CVS Health’s $69 billion acquisition of Aetna*
- The indictment and prosecution inUS v. Christopher Lischewski*
- The deferred prosecution agreement resolving the felony charge against Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute LLC*
- Order compliance enforcement actions, including the unprecedented Order enforcement action against Live Nation Entertainment*
- HSR enforcement actions, including US v Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation*
*while at the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division
Upcoming events
2025 Antitrust Spring Meeting⟶
Rethinking the Role of (Behavioral) Merger Remedies⟶
Professional associations
- Vice Chair and various Officer and leadership roles, Section of Antitrust Law, Aug 1995 – Jul 2017, American Bar Association
- President and various Officer and Executive Committee leadership roles, The George Washington University Law School Alumni Association, Apr 2012 – Jun 2017, George Washington University Law School
- Class of 1978 Representative, Jul 2010 - Present, Bishop Ireton High School
- Campaign Leadership Committee, Jun 2015 – Jun 2017, Bishop Ireton High School
- Co-Chair, Annual Gala, Oct 2013 - Oct 2014, Higher Achievement
- Executive Committee, DC Presidents Council, Jan 2009 – Aug 2017, Higher Achievement
- Development Committee, Jun 2011 - Jun 2018, St. Albans School
- Class of 1982 Executive Committee, Aug 2016 – Jul 2017, Georgetown University
Work
Viavi to Acquire Spirent⟶
Catalent to Acquire Metrics Contract Services⟶
MasTec to acquire IEA⟶
Cox Media Group in two transactions with Standard General affiliates⟶
Wellness platform Mindbody acquires ClassPass⟶
Viavi Submits Unsolicited Proposal to Acquire EXFO⟶
Thomson Reuters Agrees to Acquire Clarient Global LLC and Avox Limited⟶
News and Insight
Antitrust and Competition Law Alert® |
Oil Companies’ HSR “Gun Jumping” Violation Leads to Record $5.6 Million Fine⟶
Media mentions |
Bernard (Barry) A. Nigro Jr. Quoted in Global Competition Review on Kroger-Albertsons Merger⟶
Rankings |
Fried Frank Antitrust and Competition Department Recommended in New York in GCR 100 2025⟶
Articles |
Accolades |
Fried Frank Attorneys Named “Top Lawyers” by Washingtonian Magazine⟶
Media mentions |
Fried Frank Partners Quoted in Several Publications on the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Final Rules⟶
FTC Overhauls HSR Filing Process⟶
Media mentions |
Bernard (Barry) A. Nigro Jr. Quoted by The Wall Street Journal on Impact of 2024 Election on Antitrust Merger Enforcement⟶
Client memorandum |
FTC Fines Investor for Inadvertent First-Time Violation of the HSR Act⟶
Antitrust and Competition Law Alert® |
ECJ strikes down European Commission’s power to review non-reportable deals in the EU (the Illumina/Grail saga)⟶
View more⟶
Events
Time for a Checkup: Evaluating the Withdrawal of the Health Care Antitrust Guidelines⟶
2024 Antitrust Spring Meeting⟶
Antitrust Challenges to Artificial Intelligence⟶
Briefing: How Changing the Merger Review Process May Chill the Economy⟶
Cambridge Forum on US Antitrust Regulation⟶
Speaking engagements |
11th Bill Kovacic Antitrust Salon⟶
Speaking engagements |
Public Workshops on the 2023 Draft Merger Guidelines⟶
Speaking engagements |
ABA 2023 Antitrust Law Spring Meeting⟶
Speaking engagements |
Mercatus Center’s 2nd Annual Antitrust Forum: Policy in Transitions⟶
Speaking engagements |
ABA 2022 Antitrust Masters Course(October 20 - October 22, 2022)⟶
View more⟶