Christine Varney on the move
It has been reported that Christine Varney, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust will be stepping down from her job in order to join Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
Varney´s professional bio is probably the one within the antitrust world that I´m most envious of has impressed me the most. Not only she has been Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust (2009-11), a FTC Commissioner (1994-97), and a Partner at Hogan Hartson; she has also worked as General Counsel to the Democratic National Committee (1989 to 1992), Chief Counsel to the Clinton/Gore Campaign (1991), General Counsel to the 1992 Presidential Inaugural Committee (1992), and Assistant to President Clinton and Secretary to the Cabinet (1993–1994). Not bad, huh?
P.S. Could anyone imagine her EU counterpart -Commissioner Almunia- ever making a similar move?
Chillin'Competition 
It is always amazing to see how “revolving doors” seems to work in the US system. It would be hardly conceivable in Europe to see a top antitrust official to step down in the middle of his/her term and start working (back) for a law firm.
In civili law countries family law often mandates the so-called “délai de viduité”, ie. ban on marriage for at least 300 days from end of prior marriage.
Maybe antitrust law should take similar provisions…I think the ICN should give it a thought in one of its next panels !
Stefano Grassani
Stefano Grassani (milan , italy)
9 July 2011 at 5:18 pm