“She is particularly skilled in handling M&A issues and DOJ investigations.”
Chambers USA 2022
“She is incredibly knowledgeable and provides thoughtful advice.”
Chambers USA 2022
Next Generation Partner – Antitrust: Merger Control
The Legal 500 US 2023
Profile
Katherine Rocco is Co-Chair of Latham’s New York Litigation & Trial Department and is a partner in the firm’s Global Antitrust & Competition Practice.
Ms. Rocco regularly leads clients through their most complex antitrust matters, including by securing clearances from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for high-stakes mergers, and defending companies in a wide range of antitrust litigations, investigations, and cartel matters. Over the last thirteen years, Ms. Rocco has advised private and public companies on more than 200 individual antitrust matters. She has litigated multiple matters through trial and appeal, and appeared before numerous agencies including the European Commission. Ms. Rocco’s broad industry experience spans semiconductors, consumer products, life sciences, entertainment, social media, healthcare, financial services, agriculture, and technology.
Ms. Rocco is routinely recognized as a leading practitioner in antitrust, including by Chambers,Global Competition Review, Lawdragon, The Legal 500, Super Lawyers, and Who’s Who Legal. Ms. Rocco is a guest lecturer at Fordham Law School and is a Member of the Board for the Legal Aid Society’s New Leadership Program. For nearly a decade, Ms. Rocco served in the leadership and as a member of the Civil Rights Committee of the New York City Bar Association, including by serving as an independent legal observer at the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals in Cuba in 2012 and 2014, and by preparing amicus briefs for the Supreme Court of the United States on issues like warrantless wiretapping.
Prior to joining Latham, Ms. Rocco was an antitrust partner at another leading law firm. During law school, she was an editor for the Fordham Law Review and interned for Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in 2005 (Malaysia) and served as an intern in The White House in 2002.
Experience
A selection of Ms. Rocco’s matters include representing:
Akorn Pharmaceuticals against price-fixing allegations
Akzo Nobel on its successful defense of PPG Industries’ unsolicited US$28 billion takeover attempt
Alarm.com on its acquisition of iConnect
American Express:
In its litigation against the DOJ’s anti-steering claims in Ohio v. American Express and related matters including Italian Colors
At trial and on appeal against price-fixing allegations in Ross v. American Express
Apollo on a confidential transaction
Ares and National Veterinary Associates (NVA) on NVA’s sale to JAB and Compassion First
Ares:
In the acquisition of Unified Women’s Health and related strategic transactions
In multiple confidential transactions and related matters
Avaya Holdings on its strategic partnership with RingCentral and subsequent matters
Blackstone and Alight on the acquisition of assets from Aon
Blackstone and Alight on confidential transactions and antitrust matters
Blackstone and Service King on confidential transactions
British American Tobacco on Reynolds’ acquisition of Lorrilard
Butterfly Equity on the sale of Orgain to Nestle
Cambrex on its US$2.4 billion agreement to be acquired by Permira
The Carlyle Group on its acquisition of Arctic Glacier and subsequent matters
Charter Communications on confidential antitrust matters
Endeavor Group on confidential transactions in sports and media
Equity One on its US$15.6 billion merger with Regency Centers
Francisco Partners and its portfolio company RedSail Technologies on the acquisition of PioneerRx
Francisco Partners:
In the merger of Payscale with Payfactors
In its US$3.4 billion acquisition of Verifone and associated strategic transactions
A hedge fund client on a confidential DOJ investigation relating to price-fixing allegations
Hitachi in a theft of trade secrets litigation
Huntsman on its US$2.1 billion sale of its chemical intermediates and surfactants businesses to Indorama Ventures
IntelSat in its acquisition of GoGo Wireless
KKR on its acquisition of Optiv
Life Technologies on its acquisition by Thermo Fisher Scientific
Madison Dearborn Partners on the sale of Topps Trading Cards to Fanatics
Marriott Vacations Worldwide on its US$4.7 billion acquisition of ILG
Media Rights Capital (MRC) on its joint venture with Penske Media
Meta (f/k/a Facebook) on a confidential matter
Olympus Advisors and AmSpec on antitrust and other matters
Olympus Advisors on its sale of Ritedose to Humanwell Healthcare and AGIC Capital
Olympus Partners and Liqui-Box on the US$585 million acquisition of DS Smith’s plastics division and related litigation
Oracle on a confidential matter
The Orchard — a film, TV, and music distribution company — on antitrust and other matters
Pamplona Capital and nThrive on the acquisition of Adreima
Pamplona Capital Management on its US$5 billion acquisition of PAREXEL International
A private equity client in a DOJ leniency application in a cartel matter
Qualcomm:
In its litigation against Broadcom
Against a complaint by Nvidia & Icera in the EU
On various FRAND and RAND matters
In multiple antitrust investigations, litigations and strategic transactions
Scientific Games on its acquisition of Bally Technologies
Silver Lake Partners and Oak View Group on their acquisition of Spectra
Starwood Capital Group on the sale of Mammoth Resorts to Aspen Skiing Company and KSL Capital Partners
Starwood Capital Group on its US$6 billion joint acquisition with Blackstone of Extended Stay America
Unilever on its:
Acquisition of Talenti
Sale of SlimFast
United Airlines in its merger with Continental Airlines
VWR on its US$6.4 billion sale to Avantor
Wynn Casinos & Resorts in a confidential antitrust matter
The experience listed above includes matters handled prior to joining Latham
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
New York
Education
JD, Fordham University School of Law, 2009 magna cum laude
BA, George Washington University, 2005 magna cum laude
A Latham team led by Brendan McShane, Sadik Huseny, and Anna Rathbun were honored as winners of The American Lawyer’s Litigators of the Week for achieving a precedent-setting dismissal for Cendyn in an antitrust proposed class action.
Leading French competition publication Concurrences selected three Latham articles from among more than 1,200 academic, business, and soft law pieces submitted globally.
Multidisciplinary team represents SLR Capital, a leading private capital investor, in the transaction with Vapotherm, a leading advanced respiratory technology company.
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