Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that Karen Kazmerzak has joined the Firm as a Partner in the Litigation Department, where she will focus on antitrust matters and work closely with the Firm’s M&A Practice. Karen is based in the Washington, D.C. office.
“Having served within the Federal Trade Commission and as a leader in private practice, Karen has an exceptional blend of experience that will be beneficial to clients as they seek to address an increasingly complex antitrust regulatory environment in the United States and abroad,” said Alden Millard, Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “We are very pleased to welcome her to the Firm.”
Over the past year, the Firm has been antitrust counsel on deals totaling more than $335 billion, including advising on antitrust aspects of Change Healthcare’s $13.8 billion acquisition by UnitedHealth Group that involved the Firm’s client winning a highly publicized Department of Justice challenge to the deal. Simpson Thacher’s deal work landed it in first place among legal advisors for announced M&A deals in 2022 based on deal volume according to Bloomberg data—including advising on three of the largest deals of the year.
“Karen will be an excellent complement to our premier transactional practice, and will further enhance our ability to provide our clients with sophisticated, strategic counsel on high-profile mergers and acquisitions,” said Eric Swedenburg, Head of Simpson Thacher’s M&A Practice.
Lynn Neuner and Jonathan Youngwood, Co-Chairs of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department, added, “Karen has a stellar reputation for helping clients navigate thorny competition issues, particularly in seeking clearance for significant transactions across a wide range of sectors. She will be an excellent addition to our current bench of top-notch antitrust partners in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe.”
A former lawyer within the FTC, Karen has extensive experience advising clients on antitrust concerns in connection with complex transactions, including obtaining merger clearance before U.S. antitrust agencies and developing strategies to advocate for antitrust approval in international jurisdictions. She joins from another international law firm, where she was co-leader of its global Antitrust/Competition practice. In addition to advising clients on transactions across the life sciences, energy, transportation, healthcare and telecom industries, among others, Karen also counsels clients on antitrust matters involving licensing, distribution, pricing and competitor collaborations.
“Having the chance to work with such talented and collaborative colleagues for an exceptional roster of clients was an opportunity I could not miss,” said Karen. “Simpson Thacher is one of the most highly respected firms in the world and I am thrilled to join the team.”
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