Premier Antitrust Lawyers John Harkrider and Craig Minerva Join Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis announced today that John Harkrider, widely regarded as one of the premier antitrust lawyers in the United States, and Craig Minerva, a leading antitrust lawyer and former attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, will join the Firm as partners to help lead Kirkland’s market-leading antitrust practice.

“John and Craig are among the most respected antitrust lawyers in the market with exceptional practices spanning investigations, merger reviews and regulatory compliance matters,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “Their arrival reflects our continued commitment to providing best-in-class support to our clients as they navigate complex merger clearance and antitrust litigation matters, and we’re excited to welcome them to the Firm.”

Mr. Harkrider advises multinational corporations and private equity firms and their portfolio companies across the full spectrum of antitrust matters, including investigations, merger reviews and regulatory compliance. He has led or co-led antitrust reviews for transactions totaling nearly half a trillion dollars in aggregate value. Mr. Harkrider is ranked by Chambers USA (Band 1) and Legal 500 U.S. as a top antitrust practitioner and Who’s Who Legal called him “one of the USA’s most prominent antitrust litigators with unrivaled corporate practices.” He has also been named “Lawyer of the Year” by Global Competition Review and “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer, among other honors.

Mr. Minerva advises clients across all aspects of civil antitrust matters with a focus on high-stakes, multinational transaction reviews. While at the Department of Justice, he oversaw many high-profile merger cases and received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Assistant Attorney General Award. He is recognized in the Legal 500 U.S. and the Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers and Leading Dealmakers.

“We are thrilled to welcome John and Craig to the Firm,” said Matt Reilly, antitrust partner at Kirkland. “I have known John, in particular, for years and worked with him extensively in a variety of contexts. John’s and Craig’s deep experience, strong judgment and sophisticated understanding of antitrust law and strategy displayed over decades of practice strengthen our already formidable team.”

Mr. Harkrider and Mr. Minerva also are recognized thought leaders in antitrust and competition law. Their co-authored articles have earned industry recognition, including a Concurrences Antitrust Writing Award and a Burton Foundation Distinguished Legal Writing Award in 2026 for an article entitled “Antitrust in a Time of Trade War.”

Both lawyers join from Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP, where Mr. Harkrider was a founding partner.

“Kirkland has built one of the world’s leading antitrust practices, anchored by an unrivaled transactional platform and exceptional strength across merger reviews, investigations, litigation and regulatory counseling,” said Mr. Harkrider. “The Firm’s extraordinary depth of talent, collaborative culture and track record advising on the most significant antitrust matters make it ideal for the next chapter of my career.”

“I couldn’t be more excited for the new opportunities ahead at Kirkland,” added Mr. Minerva. “I’m thrilled to team up with a superb antitrust team and to partner with world-leading corporate and litigation colleagues.”

Kirkland’s antitrust and competition group is among the most active for merger control and complex antitrust litigation matters and has become the premier destination practice for the most challenging cases. The group advises on all aspects of competition law, including the mergers and acquisitions regulatory clearance process, consumer protection matters and antitrust litigation and government investigations.