Sheppard Mullin Adds Former FTC Deputy Chief Trial Counsel
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that Thomas Dillickrath has joined its Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the Antitrust and Competition practice group.
Dillickrath’s move to Sheppard Mullin follows a notable stint as Deputy Chief Trial Counsel at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Bureau of Competition. During his time at the FTC, Dillickrath litigated antitrust cases brought by the FTC involving mergers and acquisitions and other business practices affecting U.S. consumers. In particular, he was lead trial counsel in the agency’s successful federal court litigations blocking the Wilhelmsen-Drew Marine and Sanford-Mid Dakota Clinic mergers, as well as playing significant roles in the agency’s cases against 1-800 Contacts and Schein/Benco/Patterson in the FTC’s administrative court. Dillickrath also was the lead trial attorney on several merger cases where the parties abandoned the transaction prior to trial, including DraftKings-FanDuel.
"With Tom joining us, we continue to expand key practice groups and capabilities to better serve client needs," said MaryJeanette Dee, co-managing partner of Sheppard Mullin. "Tom’s first-chair trial experience as one of the FTC’s top litigators makes him an invaluable resource for our clients and the Antitrust and Competition practice.”
Commenting on Dillickrath’s addition, Washington, D.C.-based Antitrust and Competition partner Michael P.A. Cohen said, "I’ve known Tom for nearly 20 years, since our valued time together at Howrey. He has had, in my view, a landmark antitrust career in all facets of the practice, bringing intellectual honesty and discussion on the merits to every matter he touches. I believe these traits are behind his tested and proven success in both government and private practice, at the agencies and in the courtroom, for almost two decades. For the same reasons, Tom is a great fit for Sheppard Mullin, and I am personally thrilled to have the opportunity to work together again at this stage of our lives and careers in Washington."
"Tom is an ideal complement to our deep antitrust bench," added Michael W. Scarborough, leader of Sheppard Mullin’s Antitrust and Competition practice group. "We have one of the premier antitrust practices in the country and with Tom’s addition, we are even stronger. We’re very pleased he’s joined us, and we all look forward to working with him."
"I am excited to practice alongside this talented group of lawyers. I was impressed by the strength and depth of Sheppard Mullin’s Antitrust group and its unique position to handle any and all competition-related issues. I look forward to helping continue to grow the firm’s Antitrust practice on the East Coast and globally," said Dillickrath.
Prior to joining the FTC in 2017, Dillickrath was a partner at Baker Botts, where he worked with clients and competition agencies globally on a wide variety of high-profile antitrust matters, from litigation and appeals to merger clearances and other government investigations. For mergers and investigations, he has represented clients before domestic and foreign competition agencies and across a wide band of industries, including oil and gas, chemicals, consumer goods, airlines, high-tech, and telecommunications.
Dillickrath earned a J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law, a M.A. from George Mason University, and a B.A. from Florida Atlantic University.