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Norm Armstrong is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office and co-chairs the firm's global Antitrust practice.  Norm focuses on a wide range of antitrust matters including complex transactions, government civil and criminal investigations, and antitrust litigation.  He advises clients on matters before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ) and multiple U.S. Federal and State courts, in addition to consumer protection issues.  Norm's over 25 years of antitrust law experience in the public and private sectors allows him to support clients on their most important, high-profile transactions and disputes.

He advises clients on all aspects of U.S. and international competition law, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic alliances, government civil and criminal investigations, private antitrust litigation and counseling. Norm is a former deputy director of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Competition. He served in this role for six years overseeing three divisions and the regional offices that investigated anticompetitive transactions and conduct in an array of industries, including: healthcare, technology, pharmaceuticals, retail, consumer goods, energy, and entertainment. Prior to that, Norm served as deputy assistant director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition where he co-led some of the Commission's most high-profile litigation matters.

Norm is recognized by Law360 as a 2022 MVP Competition and as a leading antitrust practitioner by Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, Global Competition Review, Who's Who Legal Competition, Best Lawyers in America and Lawdragon 500. He frequently lectures on a wide range of antitrust issues and is a former member of the ABA Antitrust Section's Long Range Planning Committee, co-chair of the ABA's Mergers and Acquisition Committee, and Vice Chair of the Pricing Conduct Committee.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Howard University School of Law

B.A., University of Virginia

District of Columbia

Maryland

American Bar Association Anitrust Section

American Health Lawyers Association

"Norman is practical, very well informed, responsive and truly a pleasure to work with."


Chambers USA, 2022

"He has very good industry knowledge about what the government wants to see in terms of antitrust matters and he is really skilled at helping us creatively navigate through antitrust cases."


Chambers USA, 2022

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Recognition

"Norman is practical, very well informed, responsive and truly a pleasure to work with."


Chambers USA, 2022

"He has very good industry knowledge about what the government wants to see in terms of antitrust matters and he is really skilled at helping us creatively navigate through antitrust cases."


Chambers USA, 2022

Matters

Representing BASF in asserting antitrust counterclaims against a competing automotive component manufacturer, Ingevity Corporation.

Representing Evangelical Community Hospital in the Department of Justice’s challenge to its collaboration with Geisinger Health.

Represented Hillrom in its $375 million acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics.

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Matters

Representing BASF in asserting antitrust counterclaims against a competing automotive component manufacturer, Ingevity Corporation.

Representing Evangelical Community Hospital in the Department of Justice’s challenge to its collaboration with Geisinger Health.

Represented Hillrom in its $375 million acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics.

Represented a leading financial accounting firm in a no-poach investigation.

Represented Aaron’s Inc, a leading supplier of rent-to-own products, in an FTC investigation involving reciprocal purchase agreements with other rent-to-own operators. The investigation resulted in a consent agreement.

Successfully represented Energizer Holdings, Inc. in an FTC investigation into its $2 billion acquisition of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Successfully represented a global shipping container company in DOJ's criminal investigation into shipping container industry.

Lead counsel to Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and Porsche AG in FTC’s clean diesel investigation.

Co-lead class action defense counsel to Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and Porsche AG in multidistrict litigation in San Francisco in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” MDL.

Successfully represented Energizer Holdings, Inc. in the FTC’s investigation into its acquisition of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Advised Carmike Cinemas in the DOJ's investigation into its sales to AMC Theatres.

Successfully represented Forterra Building Products, a portfolio company of LoneStar Funds, in the formation of a joint venture. The transaction was cleared by the FTC without divestitures.

Represented several of the largest healthcare systems in their acquisitions in front of the FTC and in litigations brought by the DOJ.

Successfully represented Bass Pro Group in its defense of an FTC investigation into its acquisition of Fishing holdings LLC.

Matters

Representing BASF in asserting antitrust counterclaims against a competing automotive component manufacturer, Ingevity Corporation.

Representing Evangelical Community Hospital in the Department of Justice’s challenge to its collaboration with Geisinger Health.

Represented Hillrom in its $375 million acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics.

See more

Close

Matters

Representing BASF in asserting antitrust counterclaims against a competing automotive component manufacturer, Ingevity Corporation.

Representing Evangelical Community Hospital in the Department of Justice’s challenge to its collaboration with Geisinger Health.

Represented Hillrom in its $375 million acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics.

Represented a leading financial accounting firm in a no-poach investigation.

Represented Aaron’s Inc, a leading supplier of rent-to-own products, in an FTC investigation involving reciprocal purchase agreements with other rent-to-own operators. The investigation resulted in a consent agreement.

Successfully represented Energizer Holdings, Inc. in an FTC investigation into its $2 billion acquisition of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Successfully represented a global shipping container company in DOJ's criminal investigation into shipping container industry.

Lead counsel to Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and Porsche AG in FTC’s clean diesel investigation.

Co-lead class action defense counsel to Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and Porsche AG in multidistrict litigation in San Francisco in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” MDL.

Successfully represented Energizer Holdings, Inc. in the FTC’s investigation into its acquisition of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.

Advised Carmike Cinemas in the DOJ's investigation into its sales to AMC Theatres.

Successfully represented Forterra Building Products, a portfolio company of LoneStar Funds, in the formation of a joint venture. The transaction was cleared by the FTC without divestitures.

Represented several of the largest healthcare systems in their acquisitions in front of the FTC and in litigations brought by the DOJ.

Successfully represented Bass Pro Group in its defense of an FTC investigation into its acquisition of Fishing holdings LLC.

Credentials

J.D., Howard University School of Law

B.A., University of Virginia

District of Columbia

Maryland

American Bar Association Anitrust Section

American Health Lawyers Association

"Norman is practical, very well informed, responsive and truly a pleasure to work with."


Chambers USA, 2022

"He has very good industry knowledge about what the government wants to see in terms of antitrust matters and he is really skilled at helping us creatively navigate through antitrust cases."


Chambers USA, 2022

Close

Recognition

"Norman is practical, very well informed, responsive and truly a pleasure to work with."


Chambers USA, 2022

"He has very good industry knowledge about what the government wants to see in terms of antitrust matters and he is really skilled at helping us creatively navigate through antitrust cases."


Chambers USA, 2022