Steven Holley is a member of S&C’s Litigation Group. His practice focuses on antitrust counseling and litigation, but also includes copyright, patent and securities litigation, as well as complex commercial disputes. He has extensive experience advising clients on competition issues, including reviews of prospective mergers and acquisitions and other investigations conducted by the Federal Trade Commission, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission and state attorneys general. He has handled cases in state and federal courts and has substantial experience with arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Mr. Holley’s practice has addressed a wide variety of industries, including oil and gas exploration and production, extraction and refining of primary metals, distilled spirits, automotive components, microprocessors, pharmaceuticals, electricity generation, medical imaging equipment, newspaper publishing and computer software. He has represented Microsoft since 1992 in the series of government enforcement actions in the United States and other countries, as well as private antitrust litigation brought by competitors and consumers of various Microsoft products. He was on the trial team in United States v. Microsoft and argued portions of the appeals to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He represented Microsoft in the acquisition of a large patent portfolio from Novell, and last year was recognized as “Litigator of the Week” by The AmLaw Litigation Daily after obtaining dismissal of Novell’s claims against Microsoft on a motion for judgment as a matter of law after an 8-week jury trial in Utah.
In recent years, Mr. Holley has represented Skype and Silver Lake Partners in the acquisition of Skype by Microsoft; Fiat in its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Chrysler, including the expedited sale hearing in the bankruptcy court and subsequent emergency appeal to the 2nd Circuit; J.C. Flowers & Co. in litigation arising out of the proposed acquisitions of Sallie Mae and Direct Response Corporation; United Rentals in its acquisition of RSC; Rio Tinto in connection with the sale of Alcan’s flexible packaging businesses to Bemis and Amcor; IntercontinentalExchange in its bid to acquire NYSE Euronext; Valeant Pharmaceuticals in litigation concerning its acquisition of Medicis; Cymer in its acquisition by ASML; Priceline.com in its acquisition of Kayak.com; and Sea Star Line in litigation arising out of an alleged price fixing conspiracy in seaborne transportation between the mainland United States and Puerto Rico.
Mr. Holley has been named a Star in Antitrust work by Euromoney’s Benchmark: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2008-2013). He also has been recognized for his work in the Antitrust field by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-2012), Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers (2010, 2012), The Best Lawyers in America (2013), The International Who’s Who of Competition Lawyers (2010-2013) and The Legal 500, United States (2007-2011).