Ken Schwartz represents clients in antitrust transactional and advisory matters. He has worked in a diverse range of industries, including agriculture, airlines, chemicals, consumer products, defense and government contracting, energy, entertainment, financial services, fintech, health care, insurance, media, medical devices, natural resources, private equity, pharmaceuticals, retail and telecommunications.
Schwartz regularly appears before the antitrust agencies in a variety of investigational contexts. In the area of general antitrust counseling, Schwartz advises clients on a variety of antitrust matters, including joint ventures, competitor collaborations, unilateral conduct, and pricing and distribution issues. He also frequently works with Skadden’s Financial Institutions Group on antitrust issues that arise in insurance M&A and regulatory matters.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2027 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers | 2027 | Antitrust & Competition, Transactional |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers | 2026 | Antitrust Transactions, Advisory |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2026 | Antitrust & Competition, Transactional |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers | 2025 | Antitrust Transactions, Advisory |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2025 | Antitrust & Competition |
Schwartz routinely appears before the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and state antitrust authorities. He has led the antitrust aspects of numerous high-profile transactions, including:
- American Express Global Business Travel in its $540 million acquisition of CWT
- BlackRock, Inc. in its $12 billion acquisition of HPS Investment Partners; $12.5 billion acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners; and $3.2 billion acquisition of Preqin
- Boral Limited in its $2.6 billion acquisition of Headwaters Incorporated
- Builders FirstSource, Inc. in its all-stock merger transaction with BMC Stock Holdings, Inc. to create a combined company with an equity value of $5.5 billion; and in Builders’ $1.6 billion acquisition of ProBuild Holdings LLC
- Caesars Entertainment Corporation in its $17.3 billion merger with Eldorado Resorts, Inc. and its $3.7 billion acquisition of William Hill plc
- CME Group Inc. in its acquisition of NEX Group plc for $5.5 billion, including assumed debt; and in its joint venture with IHS Markit Ltd. to combine their post-trade services
- E. & J. Gallo Winery in its $1 billion purchase agreement with Constellation Brands
- EMC Corporation in its $67 billion acquisition by Dell Inc.
- E*TRADE Financial Corporation in its $13 billion all-stock merger with Morgan Stanley
- Foot Locker, Inc. in its $2.4 billion acquisition by DICK’s Sporting Goods, Inc.
- Leidos Holdings Inc. in its $5 billion combination with the realigned information systems and global solutions business of Lockheed Martin Corporation in a Reverse Morris Trust transaction
- NFP Ultimate Holdings LLC in its $13.4 billion sale to Aon plc
- Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. in its acquisition by Penn National Gaming, Inc. in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.8 billion
- Scopely, Inc. in its $3.5 billion acquisition of Niantic’s games business; $4.9 billion acquisition by Savvy Gaming Group; and previous $1 billion acquisition of GSN Games, Inc.
- Vantiv in its $12 billion merger with Worldpay and Worldpay in its $43 billion merger with FIS
- The XFL in its combination with the United States Football League
- XL Group in its $15.3 billion acquisition by AXA SA and its $4.2 billion cash-and-stock acquisition of Catlin Group Limited