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New Faces in the Division

Antitrust Division Spring Update 2021

Trial Attorney Amanda Barnes

Amanda Barnes
Amanda Barnes Trial Attorney, New York Office

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

I joined the Division through the Honors Program from the American University Washington College of Law. At AUWCL I was a member of the American University Law Review, Vice Chair of the Student Bar Association’s Election Commission and the South Asian Law Student Association. I represented a client in D.C. Superior Court as a student attorney in the Civil Advocacy Clinic and taught a year-long constitutional law class in a D.C public school as a Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project teaching fellow. Prior to law school I graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in classical studies and worked on a(n unsuccessful) NYC City Council campaign, at an executive recruiting firm, and as a litigation paralegal at a large law firm.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

I was drawn by the Division’s mission-driven work—the idea of protecting the American consumer from injuries and harms they are not in a position to see, let alone combat.

What do you like best about your current work?

My favorite thing about my current work is being able to work closely with and learn from experienced trial attorneys. In the six months I have been with the Division I have had so many opportunities to learn about and observe good lawyering thanks to the attorneys who have taken me under their wings!

Economist Mark Chicu

Mark Chicu
Mark Chicu Economist

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

I was at an economic consulting firm for over seven years, working mainly in antitrust across a broad range of industries. Before that, I completed my Ph.D. in economics at Northwestern University, and specialized in industrial organization, thinking about the same kinds of issues that confront us every day here in the Antitrust Division.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

The Antitrust Division is the best place to be for someone interested in the issues raised by antitrust. On top of that, the colleagues are outstanding, the mission to protect consumers is highly motivating, and the collegiality and close collaboration between economists and attorneys makes it an excellent place to work.

What do you like best about your current work?

Staff—regardless of rank—are given a lot of responsibility and are put in a position to make really significant contributions to their cases. It’s been very rewarding to play a major role in the course of an investigation.

Economist Alex Gross

Alex Gross
Alex Gross Economist

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

I entered the Division directly from graduate school (University of Virginia).

Why did you decide to join the Division?

I liked the idea of my work having an immediate and tangible impact compared to academic research. I also believe in the mission of the Division to protect American consumers, which is an important motivator for me.

What do you like best about your current work?

I like that I’m able to apply many of the skills I learned in grad school to practical, tangible problems. Not everyone gets the luxury of working in their field, so I’m grateful for that. Also, I’ve learned a lot from working with the attorneys. I enjoy seeing how economics fits into the puzzle of a case, and I’ve found that there’s a lot of fruitful feedback between economists and attorneys.

Economist Malika Krishna

Malika Krishna
Malika Krishna Economist

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

Prior to joining the Division, I worked in economics consulting for several years.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

Having had the opportunity to work with Division economists and attorneys while I was in consulting, I wanted to join EAG because I had seen the high quality of work, focus on economics, collegial environment, and commitment to getting to the right answer.

What do you like best about your current work?

I like that we are always learning in this job because every industry is different, every case is different, and therefore the economics is different. I find our work at the Division to be creative and exciting.

Trial Attorney Alisa Mastro

Alisa Mastro
Alisa Mastro Trial Attorney, San Francisco Office

 

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

Before joining the Division, I worked in private practice in Washington, D.C. where I got exposure to both transactional and criminal antitrust matters. I was fortunate to work with and learn from experienced and supportive antitrust lawyers, including DOJ alumni, on a variety of matters touching on different industries and issues. While at the firm, I had the opportunity to move to California for a secondment at a client where I learned about antitrust and competition issues from the in-house perspective.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

It began with a great internship experience with another DOJ division during law school. And ever since antitrust became my area of practice I’ve wanted to contribute to the Division’s important work. While in private practice I became interested in industries that have become a focus for the Division, so I jumped at the opportunity to work on these challenging and fascinating issues when I had the chance.

What do you like best about your current work?

Even though we’ve all been working remotely, it has been so engaging to work with smart, dedicated attorneys and economists on novel and complex issues. I also love diving into factual investigation to understand different products and markets.

Trial Attorney Lily Okamuro

Lily Okamuro
Lily Okamuro Trial Attorney, Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

I have a B.A. in economics from U.C. Berkeley, a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and came to the Division from Ropes & Gray’s Antitrust Group. Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, I worked in Dechert’s Antitrust Group.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

I’ve wanted to work for the Division ever since my second year of college. My microeconomics professor would animate her lectures with war stories from her time in EAG, including her work on U.S. v. ATPCO, and I thought it sounded like the most exciting career. Fast forward over ten years, a SLIP internship in TEA, and almost five years of building my resume through private practice, I finally took my shot and applied to be a Tech Fellow.

What do you like best about your current work?

Since joining the Division, I have worked on the Visa/Plaid team. My favorite assignment was fact witness development during the litigation. It was rewarding watching the team’s story come together and strategizing with my partner about how different potential fintech witnesses might help tell that story. No witness was perfect, so it was a constant dialogue of pros, cons, and overall strategy.

Trial Attorney Ryan Sandrock

Ryan Sandrock
Ryan Sandrock Trial Attorney, San Francisco Office

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

I was born in Ohio but then moved to Chicago because the Division broke up AT&T (my dad worked for AT&T in Ohio and went to work for a “Baby Bell” in Chicago after divestiture). After college, I was a high school teacher and cross-country coach in Louisiana. Then, after law school, I practiced at Sidley Austin for a long time, in both Chicago and San Francisco. At Sidley, I worked with Scott Lassar, who led the price-fixing case against ADM, and Sam Miller, who led the first Division case against Microsoft. I litigated many antitrust cases, mostly Section 2, on the defense side.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

I joined the Division because I wanted to be part of the review of online platforms. There is a renewed recognition of the importance of competition in the digital economy.

What do you like best about your current work?

I enjoy that everyone in the Division has a deep understanding of antitrust law. It is helpful to work with economists and attorneys who have thought more about core antitrust issues than probably anyone else. And it is fun to be able to use Illinois Brick and Brown Shoe as shorthand, knowing that your colleagues don’t need further explanation.

Trial Attorney Lara Trager

Lara Trager
Lara Trager Trial Attorney, Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section

What was your background before joining the Antitrust Division?

I studied political theory, law, economics, and public policy, and was privileged to spend many years in private practice in New York City, at two different firms. My work focused on antitrust litigation and competition law and afforded the opportunity to work alongside and opposite some of the best. Sprinkled in over the years were working at an early online platform during college, in the chambers of a Federal Circuit Court Judge during law school, with several law and philosophy professors teaching and assisting with research, and at a litigation support services firm. My first job, in high school, was selling shoes…for which it is fair to say I am not cut out.

Why did you decide to join the Division?

It is a fascinating and exciting time to be in antitrust. I am passionate about the intersection of antitrust and technology in particular, and about the importance of the Division’s mission and enforcement work, especially right now. When I saw an opening that offered the opportunity to be involved, I jumped at it.

What do you like best about your current work?

The people are incredible. The caliber and commitment here at the Division—to doing what is right and best for the American economy and consumer, under the facts and law—are inspiring. There is an energy and dedication to public service here which it is wonderful to be a part of.

Updated June 22, 2023