David Pearl
With nearly 20 years of experience in both the private sector and federal government service, David brings strategic insight, tactical skill and commercial understanding to his work on behalf of clients – market leaders in the technology, manufacturing, food and consumer products, telecommunications and media, and health care spaces, among other sectors. He counsels companies on antitrust risks in connection with contemplated transactions and commercial practices, as well as on cross-border mergers implicating both antitrust and foreign direct investment issues.
David advises clients facing complex antitrust and anticompetition challenges. This includes all aspects of government review of mergers and acquisitions, including US Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and foreign government reviews of mergers and other transactions, Hart-Scott-Rodino pre-merger notifications, responses to civil investigative demands and second requests, engagements with the DOJ and FTC, and coordination of strategy with foreign jurisdictions. He also represents clients in high-stakes litigation and investigations by US regulators and international competition authorities across the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia. He has particular experience with litigations involving Section 2 of the Sherman Act, including both government enforcements and suits by private plaintiffs.
David has been ranked for antitrust by Chambers, Lawdragon and The Legal 500 US.
After clerking for the Hon. Francis Allegra in the US Court of Federal Claims, in between stints at leading national and international law firms, David was a senior political appointee at the US Department of the Treasury during the Obama administration, serving first as deputy executive secretary and then as executive secretary. In this role, he led cross-functional teams in advancing the administration’s policy initiatives across the department’s portfolio. David returned to private practice in 2018 at one of the leading US-based antitrust firms.
A lifelong proponent of voting rights and fair elections, David has worked on voter protection issues and supported every Democratic presidential campaign since 2008, including serving as West Florida regional voter protection director for the Obama campaign in 2012 and as senior advisor to the national voter protection director for the Biden campaign in 2020. In 2017, he cofounded and served as general counsel for Voter Protection Partners LLC, a voting rights and campaign technology startup.
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
Represented Google in numerous litigations and investigations related to its advertising technology business practices in the U.S. and other jurisdictions, including in lawsuits brought by the Department of Justice in the Eastern District of Virginia, by various state Attorneys General in the Eastern District of Texas, and by a number of private class plaintiffs in a multi-district litigation in the Southern District of New York.*
Represented BradyPLUS, a leading distributor and solution provider focused on janitorial/sanitation, foodservice and industrial packaging products, in its merger with Imperial Dade.*
Represented AssuredPartners, a national partnership of independent insurance brokers, in its $13.45 billion acquisition by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.*
Defended Tyson Foods Inc. in a consolidated treble-damages class action alleging an industry-wide conspiracy to manipulate the price of broiler chickens in the Northern District of Illinois.*
Represented Stanley Black & Decker Inc. in its initial acquisition of a 20% stake in, and subsequent acquisition of the remaining 80% of, MTD Holdings Inc., a worldwide leader in outdoor power equipment.*
Represented Goodrich Corporation in its $18.4 billion acquisition by United Technologies Corp.*
(*Indicates work done prior to joining the firm.)
Background
Education
- J.D., Harvard Law School, 2008
- Articles editor, Harvard Law & Policy Review
- B.S., cum laude, Psychobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2004
Bar Admissions
Clerkships
- Francis M. Allegra,
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Court Admissions
- U.S.D.C., District of Columbia
Professional Affiliations
- California Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Antitrust Section
Recognition
Chambers and Partners’ Chambers USA
