Pozen Named Acting Head of Antitrust Division

This posting was written by Jeffrey May, Editor of CCH Trade Regulation Reporter.

With Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney scheduled to step down as head of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division today, the Department of Justice has named Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sharis Arnold Pozen as Acting Assistant Attorney General.

“Sharis is a highly experienced antitrust enforcer and I am confident that she will continue to lead the Antitrust Division in its mission to vigorously enforce the antitrust laws,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.

Pozen has played a lead role in a number of civil merger and non-meger enforcement matters since joining the Antitrust Division. Pozen was also involved in the federal antitrust agencies’ update of the Horizontal Merger Guidelines and the Antitrust Division’s revision of its Merger Remedy Guidelines.

Prior to coming to the Antitrust Division, Pozen was a partner in the Antitrust, Competition and Consumer Protection Group of Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells). She also worked for five years at the Federal Trade Commission as an attorney advisor, as assistant to the Bureau of Competition Director, and as a staff attorney.

The appointment was announced in an August 4 news release.

Varney announced her departure from the Antitrust Division, effective as of August 5, on July 6. For further details regarding Varney’s move, see the July 7 posting on Trade Regulation Talk (“Antitrust Chief to Leave Justice Department for Private Practince”).