With great sadness, we mourn the passing of our longtime Washington DC partner Bob Bloch.

Bob joined Mayer Brown in 1993 following a distinguished career of public service. He served in numerous senior positions of responsibility in both state and federal government, including as an assistant attorney general of Ohio and at the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division, where he served for nearly 18 years. As the chief of the Antitrust Division’s Professions and Intellectual Property Section, Bob led many successful and important antitrust enforcement efforts.

At Mayer Brown, Bob built a litigation practice focused on defending major corporations, nonprofit entities and corporate officials in both criminal and civil investigations before the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission. He also defended companies in private class action litigation in both federal and state courts and eventually led the Firm's Antitrust & Competition practice. In an age of specialization, Bob was gifted at managing all manner of antitrust issues. He was also renowned for his experience in health care industry antitrust issues. Clients valued his tenacious dedication to them—not just his commitment to fighting hard for the right result in a dispute but thinking strategically about the milestones and challenges ahead.

That same tenacity was evident in Bob’s commitment to pro bono service, including his work for the World Jewish Restitution Organization through which he took part in, and sometimes led, delegations to Eastern Europe.

The array of honors, accolades and appointments Bob received over the course of his career attest to his gifts as a litigator, advocate, public servant and mentor to many. He was deeply engaged in improving the legal profession, including in his role as a member of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section and its International Cartel Task Force.

We will miss Bob most of all for the qualities that we treasured in him as a person: the passion of his convictions and his deep loyalty to friends and colleagues, old and new.