
Craig Minerva, a former lead attorney with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, has substantial experience in all aspects of civil antitrust matters and counseling, especially complex transaction reviews, across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, media, entertainment, technology, and transportation. Craig’s litigation skills, coupled with his antitrust expertise, make him a key team member in antitrust litigations, and reinforce his strength in handling investigations in the shadow of potential litigation. Valued for his creative thinking and strategic planning, Craig anticipates challenges and proactively crafts plans to address them in order to achieve key goals.
While at the Antitrust Division, Craig led teams to successful results in numerous significant matters. His work prevented consummation of anticompetitive deals by remedying or blocking them outright. For his work at DOJ, in 2019, he was honored both with the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award as well as the Assistant Attorney General Award. Prior to joining the Antitrust Division, he was a senior associate at a global law firm where he represented clients in merger reviews, conduct investigations, and litigation. While on detail in London, he represented clients before the European Commission and advised on European and UK competition law issues.
Professional Activities
- Vice-Chair, ABA Antitrust, Media & Technology Committee; co-editor of Icarus newsletter (2019-Present)
- Vice-Chair, ABA Antitrust, Books & Treatises Committee (2016-2019)
Experience
Private Practice
- Advising VMware in its $61 billion acquisition by Broadcom.
- Advised Thermo Fisher Scientific in its $12.5 billion tender offer for QIAGEN N.V.
- Counseled and represented Sagard Holdings, Fairfax Financial Holdings, and Peak Achievement Athletics in the DOJ review and clearance of the acquisition of Easton Diamond Sports by Rawlings Sporting Goods.
- Represented D.G. Yuengling & Son in its joint venture with Molson Coors Beverage Company to expand west.
- Represented Novartis in the sale of its animal health division to Eli Lilly.
- Represented United Airlines in its proposed acquisition of take-off and landing slots from Delta at Newark Liberty Airport.
- Advised Boehringer Ingelheim before the European Commission on the acquisition of Sanofi’s animal health division.
- Represented a leading U.S. technology company before the Antitrust Division regarding standard essential patent issues.
- Represented Continental Airlines in In re Transpacific Passenger Air Transportation Antitrust Litigation and helped secure voluntary dismissal.
- Represented classes of dairy farmers alleging antitrust violations – Allen, et al. vs. DFA et al (D. Vt.) and In re Southeastern Milk Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Tenn.).
Government
- Led the initial investigation of a leading incumbent’s proposed acquisition of a nascent rival, which (following Craig’s move to Axinn) the parties abandoned post complaint.
- Led investigation of proposed merger of the two largest commercial printers of publications and prepared strong litigation position, resulting in the parties abandoning the deal post complaint.
- Led investigation of merger of two of the largest entertainment companies, resulting in consent decree requiring divestiture of all of the target’s regional sports networks.
- Investigated violations of consent decree and prepared strong litigation position, resulting in settlement that significantly modified and extended the decree.
- Led investigation of proposed two-to-one newspaper merger in a failing-firm context and prepared strong litigation position, resulting in sale of the target to an alternative buyer.
*Includes matters handled prior to joining Axinn
Thought Leadership
- DOJ Challenges of JetBlue Transactions Linked, The Deal, March 17, 2023
- Limited Resources Will Test DOJ Preference for Merger Suits, Law360, January 26, 2022
- The Other Side of the Coin: Complementarity in Mergers of Multiproduct Firms, Antitrust Magazine Online, October 2021
Axinn Antitrust Insights:
New Proposed Merger Guidelines Reflect DOJ and FTC’s Anti-merger Policy, Signal Continued Aggressive Enforcement, Axinn Update, July 27, 2023
FTC Proposes Massive Revisions to HSR Filing Requirements Amounting to a Fundamental Shift in the U.S. Merger Review Regime to Mirror European and Chinese Systems, Axinn Update, June 28, 2023
FTC Announces Revised HSR Thresholds for 2023, Axinn Update, January 26, 2023
FTC Issues Proposed Rule Banning Employee Non-Compete Clauses, Axinn Update, January 9, 2023
FTC Policy Statement Re Section 5, Axinn Update, November 21, 2022
Public and Regulatory Sentiment Point to Increased Healthcare Merger Enforcement, Axinn Update, October 31, 2022
Antitrust Division Obtains First Conviction for Labor-Market Collusion, Axinn Update, October 27, 2022
Judges Skeptical of Recent Biden Administration Merger Challenges, Axinn Update, October 26, 2022
US Department of Justice Forces Interlocking Board Members to Resign, Axinn Update, October 21, 2022
Confirmation of Third Democratic FTC Commissioner Secures Majority, Setting Stage for Aggressive and Unconventional Agenda, Axinn Update, May 13, 2022
DOJ Updates Antitrust Leniency Program and Agencies Continue Shift to Increase Merger Enforcement, Axinn Update, April 19, 2022
DOJ Officials Raise Specter of Criminal Monopolization Prosecutions, Axinn Update, March 15, 2022
FTC Announces New HSR Thresholds for 2022, Axinn Update, January 26, 2022
U.S. Antitrust Agencies to Significantly Revise and Broaden Merger Guidelines, Axinn Update, January 24, 2022
White House Issues Executive Order Aimed at Increasing Antitrust Enforcement and Promoting Competition, Axinn Update, July 12, 2021
Lina Khan Sworn in as New FTC Chair, Axinn Update, June 17, 2021
Supreme Court Limits FTC's Ability to Seek Equitable Monetary Relief, Axinn Update, April 30, 2021
FTC Launches Multinational Group to Tackle Pharmaceutical Deals, Axinn Update, April 6, 2021
FTC Challenges Illumina’s Acquisition of Grail, Axinn Update, April 6, 2021
DOJ Continues Criminal Enforcement in Labor Markets, Axinn Update, April 6, 2021
Events
- Navigating Global Mergers in the Tech Space
- High-Tech Deals in High-Stakes International Merger Control
- DOJ’s Challenge of Penguin Random House / Simon & Schuster
- Utilizing Consumer Surveys in Merger Investigations and Class Action Cases: Practical Guide
- ABA Program – The Future of Content Distribution
Education
- JD – Cornell Law School (2008)
- BA – Cornell University, Economics & Government (2005)
Admissions
- New York
- District of Columbia
- US District Court District of Columbia