Mike Bonanno is Chair of the firm’s Antitrust Investigations Practice and Co-Chair of the firm’s Antitrust Defense Practice. He is a trial lawyer who represents defendants in antitrust cases and both companies and individuals in government antitrust investigations. He has tried and won high-stakes antitrust cases in federal district courts, and he has extensive experience in antitrust litigation involving two-sided platforms, software, pharmaceuticals, and payment networks.
Before joining the firm, Mike was a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. During his time at the Antitrust Division, Mike served as trial counsel in United States v. Bazaarvoice, Inc. and United States v. American Express, held important roles in investigations and civil litigation relating to conduct in the software, telecommunications, and financial services industries, and received the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.
Mike has been named Litigator of the Week by The American Lawyer, and he has been recognized as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America (Antitrust). He also has received recognition in Best Lawyers in America (Antitrust: Ones to Watch), Leaders League (Competition Law & Antitrust: Highly Recommended), and Benchmark Litigation (Future Star).
- Defending the largest trade association in the United States in a series of civil antitrust cases and a government investigation relating to association rules.
- Defending one of the largest chicken suppliers in the United States in a series of civil antitrust cases alleging a conspiracy among chicken suppliers to constrain output and raise prices.
- Defending a large multifamily property manager in a civil antitrust conspiracy case alleging that property managers colluded to increase rents through the use of revenue management software.
- Defending a large hotel company in a civil antitrust conspiracy case alleging that hotels colluded to increase rates through the use of revenue management software.
- Defending one of the largest beef suppliers in the United States in a civil antitrust case alleging a conspiracy among suppliers to suppress cattle prices.
- Defeated class certification for a large pharmacy benefit manager in a series of multi-billion dollar class actions where the plaintiffs asserted antitrust and tort claims relating to the distribution and pricing of a specialty drug.
- Defending a large commodities trading and logistics company in a RICO class action lawsuit.
- Obtained complete dismissal of antitrust claims brought by a group of compounding pharmacies against a large pharmacy benefit manager.
- Represented a large software company during the regulatory review for one of the largest software mergers of all time. The transaction was cleared without conditions.
- Obtained summary judgment on unfair competition and defamation claims asserted by a large technology company against a leading technology research firm.
- Obtained complete dismissal of unfair competition and defamation claims brought against a luxury hotel company relating to the operation of a luxury hotel in Dubai.
- Represented a large manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries in a commercial dispute with a manufacturer of electric vehicles.
- Georgetown University Law Center
(J.D., magna cum laude)- Order of the Coif
- Order of the Coif
- Virginia Tech
(B.S., cum laude, Civil Engineering)
- The District of Columbia Bar
- United States District Court:
- District of Columbia
- Northern District of Illinois
- United States Court of Appeals:
- Ninth Circuit
- D.C. Circuit
- United States Department of Justice:
- Trial Attorney, Antitrust Division, 2010-2015
- Member, American Bar Association, Antitrust Law Section