Renata Hesse, Co-Head of S&C’s Antitrust Group and a former acting head of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, spoke with The American Lawyer about her role at the intersection of deal-making, regulatory work and litigation. While much of her work happens behind the scenes, the merger clearance issues she helps clients navigate have been in the spotlight lately as U.S. antitrust agencies take a more aggressive stance on competition.
Renata discussed the challenge of navigating strict deal deadlines while also preparing for the possibility of litigation. She also emphasized the benefits of being a “worthy adversary” to the government, noting that collaboration and respect are still essential even when each side has a different agenda.
“You try to do the best job you can to really engage and answer the agency's questions,” she said. “But you also recognize that there may come a point where we're just going to have to agree to disagree.”
Read “Sullivan & Cromwell’s Renata Hesse on Being a ‘Worthy Adversary’ to Antitrust Regulators”.