Allen P. Grunes

Allen P. Grunes

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Background

Long experience with antitrust law at the agencies, in the courtroom and on the Hill. Authority on mergers and compliance with the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. Respected strategist who understands the importance of government relations and public relations strategies in high-profile matters.

Allen Grunes skillfully navigates the full spectrum of competition law issues. From proactively analyzing mergers and acquisitions to guiding clients through the antitrust review process, he provides experienced antitrust counsel. At Brownstein, he often assists clients in developing government relations and public relations strategies in high-profile matters. His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and small businesses, consumer advocacy groups and labor unions.  

Allen previously spent more than a decade at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, where he led many merger and civil non-merger investigations in radio, television, newspapers, motion pictures and other industries. He was part of the litigation team in a number of important cases brought by the United States, including U.S. v. Alex Brown & Sons. In private practice, he has worked as special counsel for the State of Ohio and has served as class counsel for a class of temporary nurses in Arizona. He is a recent past president of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia and a member of the Barristers.

Clients aren’t the only ones who value his insight. Allen is a respected thought leader frequently speaking and writing on antitrust topics. He provides analysis for media, including Bloomberg, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Communications Daily, the Associated Press and Law360.

Representative Matters

Recent Experience

  • Counsel to Liberty Latin America providing antitrust counsel in connection with its $1.95 billion acquisition of AT&T’s wireless and wireline operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The transaction combined AT&T’s leading mobile business in Puerto Rico with Liberty Puerto Rico’s leading high-speed broadband and TV business to create a strong and competitive integrated communications player. The transaction was reviewed by the U.S. DOJ and Liberty Latin America agreed to divest certain business-to-business operations in Puerto Rico to WorldNet Telecommunications or another acquirer approved by the U.S.

  • Counsel to Nelnet in its acquisition of Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc. from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation.

  • Counsel to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in opposition to the proposed Sysco/US Foods merger before the Federal Trade Commission.

  • Counsel to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, LLC in its acquisition of the Sportsman Channel and related properties from InterMedia Partners, LP.

  • Counsel to RV Management Corp. and its subsidiary, Renal Ventures Management, LLC in the sale of 100% of the issued and outstanding equity interests of Renal Ventures Management, LLC to DaVita Inc. Renal Ventures Management, LLC owned and operated approximately 40 renal dialysis clinics in the states of Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Jersey. The sale included a full sale process run by Raymond James, comprehensive negotiations with DaVita Inc., a detailed antitrust review process before the Federal Trade Commission, the divestiture by DaVita Inc. of several clinics (including three acquired clinics), and the spin-off of the infusion and vascular lines of business post-closing.

  • Counsel to Regional Care Services Corporation, the parent company of Casa Grande Regional Medical Center based in Casa Grande, Arizona, in negotiating the sale of the hospital assets to Banner Health pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement and related transactions.

  • Counsel to Warner Music Group in connection with the Universal/EMI merger before Congress and the Federal Trade Commission.

  • Counsel to Lube Distributions Holdings Inc., a portfolio company of KRG Capital Partners in the sale of Petro-Choice, the largest distributor of consumable commercial, industrial and passenger vehicle lubricants in the Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest regions of the U.S., to Greenbriar Equity Group.

  • Advocated against AT&T’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile for an informal coalition of companies seeking to preserve a competitive mobile wireless marketplace.

  • Filed an amicus brief on behalf of Intellectual Ventures Management and individual inventors in the U.S. Supreme Court in the Microsoft Corporation v. i4i Limited Partnership patent case. At issue was the appropriate standard of proof in a patent validity challenge. In the brief, amici argued that the statutory presumption of patent validity and long-standing precedent support the application of the existing "clear and convincing" standard. Further, given the importance of innovation and investment to the U.S. economy, a change in the standard would disturb the careful balance Congress has created and diminish the value of patents. Brownstein attorneys worked with co-counsel at Susman Godfrey on the preparation of the brief. On June 9, 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the application of the "clear and convincing" standard in an 8-0 decision.

  • Counsel to Graham Packaging Company, L.P. in a $568 million strategic acquisition of another manufacturer and supplier. In the transaction, Graham Packaging Company acquired all of the limited partnership units of the target company from the company's limited partners and all of the stock of each of the company's three corporate general partners from their stockholders. A manufacturer and supplier of technology-based, customized blow molded plastic containers for the branded food and beverage, household, personal care/specialty and automotive lubricants product categories, Graham Packaging Company is a portfolio company of Blackstone Capital Group.

  • Counsel to an individual in an international criminal antitrust investigation brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and European authorities in the worldwide shipping/freight-forwarding industry.

  • Counsel to a class of temporary nurses in federal antitrust litigation against a state-wide hospital association and several individual hospitals in Arizona. The case resulted in a $24 million settlement.

  • Counsel to Aebi Schmidt, a leading European manufacturer of ice and snow removal and street cleaning equipment, in its acquisition of Wisconsin-based Monroe Truck Equipment.

  • Counsel to Clarion Capital Partners in its acquisition of Ad.net, Inc., a leading provider of digital performance advertising through intent-driven marketing for leading brands and agencies.

Insights & Publications

Credentials

Education

  • LL.M., 1986, New York University School of Law
  • J.D., 1983, Rutgers Law School
  • A.B., 1979, Dartmouth College

Previous Experience

Co-founder, The Konkurrenz Group

U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Ohio
  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court District of Columbia
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships

Past President, Bar Association of the District of Columbia

Advisory Board, American Antitrust Institute

Advisory Board, Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies

Recognition

AWARDS:

Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers, 2013-2020