Overview
Bob Bloch’s litigation practice focuses on the defense of major national corporations, non-profit entities, and corporate officials in criminal and civil investigations before the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission for price fixing, bid rigging, boycotts, pricing and marketing policies, and mergers. He also defends companies in private class action litigation in federal and state courts. Bob also served as the firm's Global Antitrust practice leader.
Bob was antitrust counsel in several multi-billion dollar mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. He has represented clients in the health care, airline, banking, defense logistics, food additives, semiconductor, motion picture, pharmaceutical, recording, music publishing, hospitality, oil commodities, electrical utility, silicon metal, newspaper, rock salt, and waste management industries. And, he has served as antitrust counsel to academic medical centers and universities.
Prior to working for Mayer Brown, Bob worked for almost 18 years at the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division, first as a trial attorney, then as the Assistant Chief for the Trial Section and the Litigation I Section, and finally as Chief of the Professions and Intellectual Property Section. Prior to working for the Department of Justice, he served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
Bob has been chosen as one of Chambers USA’s "Leading Lawyers." Chambers cited him for his "talent for driving cases forward, for his commitment to his clients,” “as a respected presence in antitrust circles" and his "great government experience." He was also chosen as Washington DC and National Litigation Star – Antitrust (2013, 2015-2023) by Benchmark Litigation. He was named one of Washington's "Super Lawyers" (2007, 2010, 2012-2023) and one of Washington’s "Best Lawyers" (2008-2023). While at the Department of Justice, Bob received the Harold M. Stevens Award for Outstanding Service (1993), the John Marshall Award (1992), Outstanding Performance Awards, Senior Executive Service Meritorious Awards, the Antitrust Division Award of Distinction (1984), a Special Commendation Award (1981), and numerous Letters of Commendation.
Areas of Focus
Spoken Languages
- English
Experience
- Represented Vantage Health Plan in a monopolization case in BRFHH Shreveport, L.L.C. d/b/a University Health Shreveport and Vantage Health Plan, Inc. v. Willis-Knighton Medical Center d/b/a Willis-Knighton Health System (W.D. Louisiana).
- Antitrust counsel in Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health's combination with GraniteOne Health on behalf of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health.
- Represented Blue Shield of California in several major litigations involving Sutter Health System.
- Defended Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in 31 civil antitrust class actions in In re Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. Price Fixing Litigation (N.D. Texas).
- Defended Cypress Semiconductor Corporation in a government investigation and 80 civil cases in In re Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Cal.).
- Defended Bertelsmann, Inc., in antitrust class action cases in both In re Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation (D. Maine) and In re Compact Disc Antitrust Litigation (C.D. Cal.).
- Defended Blue Shield of California in In re Lipitor Antitrust Litigation (D.N.J.).
- Defended Blue Shield of California in Rheumatology Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc. et al v. Aetna et al (N. D.Cal) in an exclusive dealing antitrust case.
- Defended ETI Explosives Technologies International, Inc. in an antitrust class action case in In re Commercial Explosives Antitrust Litigation (D. Utah).
- Defended Cargill, Inc. in antitrust class action cases in both In re Citric Acid Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Cal.) and In re High Fructose Corn Syrup Antitrust Litigation (C.D. Ill.).
- Defended Northshore University HealthSystem in Lisa Reed and Cindy Digiannantono et al., an antitrust class action alleging a wage-fixing conspiracy concerning registered nurses (N.D. Ill.).
- Defended UnitedHealth Group Incorporated against boycott allegations in Heartland Surgical Specialty Hospital, LLC v. Midwest Division, Inc., et al. (D. Kansas).
- Defended VHA/Novation (formerly Voluntary Hospitals of America) against exclusive dealing and conspiracy in restraint of trade allegations in Retractable Technologies, Inc. v. Becton Dickinson & Co., et al. (E.D. Texas) and Burlington Drug Co. v. VHA Inc., et al. (D. Vt.).
- Defended DeVry, Inc. against predatory pricing allegations in Dauberman, et al. v. DeVry, Inc. (L.A. Sup. Ct. Cal.).
- Antitrust counsel in Hoechst's $7 billion acquisition of Marion Merrill Dow on behalf of Dow.
- Antitrust counsel in Aetna's $9 billion acquisition of U.S. Healthcare on behalf of Aetna.
- Antitrust counsel in United Healthcare’s $2.6 billion acquisition of Sierra Health Services, Inc. on behalf of United Healthcare.
Perspectives
Events
-
February 14 – 162018
American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law and the International Bar Association 2018 International Cartel Workshop
News
-
October 142022
Education
The George Washington University Law School, JD, with honors
Franklin and Marshall College, BA
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Ohio
Court
- US Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Activities
- American Bar Association: Antitrust Section; Member, International Cartel Task Force (2005 to 2009; 2011-2015; and 2017-2018); (Board of Editors, ALD 8th Ed. 2015-2017) Member, Long Range Planning Committee (2009-10); Co-Chair, Federal Sentencing Guidelines Task Force (1995-1997); Chair, Annual Meeting Committee (1994-1995), and Co-Chair (1993-1994); Section Vice Chair (1992-1993), Council Member (1989-1993), Criminal Practice and Procedure Committee Chairman (1986-1989) and Vice Chair (1985-1986); Member, Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division Council (1991); Antitrust Section Representative to Special Advisory Committee for Public Service Lawyers (1990-1991)
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section
- District of Columbia Bar Association: Steering Committee, Antitrust and Consumer Law Section (2003-2009)
- International Bar Association
- American Health Lawyers Association, Vice Chair, Antitrust Substantive Law Committee (1999-2001)
- Federal Bar Association, Chairman, Criminal Enforcement and Antitrust Law Committee, (1983-1985)
- Board of Editors, Antitrust Report (Matthew Bender & Co.)
- Advisory Board, Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report (Bureau of National Affairs; Bloomberg BNA 2002-2016)
- Advisory Board, Institute of Consumer Antitrust Studies, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Member, Washington Lawyers Committee, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Honorary Legal Counsel, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany
- Senior Legal Advisor and Lay Leader, World Jewish Restitution Organization
- Best Lawyers in America - Antitrust Law and Litigation (2006-2023)
- Chosen as one of Washington’s "Best Lawyers" (2008-2023)
- Chosen as National and Washington DC Litigation Star - Antitrust (2015-2023) by Benchmark Litigation
- Chosen as one of Washington's "Super Lawyers" (2007, 2010, 2012-2023)
- GCR and Who's Who Legal Expert in Competition Law (2020)
- Chosen as one of Chambers USA’s "Leading Lawyers"
- The Harold M. Stevens Award for Outstanding Service, 1993
- The John Marshall Award, 1992
- Outstanding Performance Awards, 1978-1992
- Senior Executive Service Meritorious Awards, 1989-1991
- Antitrust Division Award of Distinction, 1984
- Special Commendation Award, 1981
- Letters of Commendation: from the Attorney General of the United States, 1978, 1990; the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, 1976, 1978, 1993; US Attorney for North Carolina, 1982 and for Arizona, 1990; US District Judge William R. Collinson, 1978; Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, 1983; and Ohio Attorney General, 1974