Bilal Sayyed

Bilal Sayyed

Counsel Corporate & Finance

New York,

Washington, D.C.

+1 202 862 2417
New York

+1 202 862 2417
Washington, D.C.

[email protected]

Bilal Sayyed

Overview
Experience
Credentials
Insights and events

Bilal Sayyed represents clients before the FTC and DOJ in merger, civil, and criminal antitrust matters, advises investment funds on antitrust and HSR Act compliance, counsels clients in FTC consumer protection and privacy investigations, and represents clients before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) on voluntary and mandatory notice filings and transaction clearance.

His practice includes an active amicus and appellate brief writing practice in antitrust litigation matters, and he has testified as an expert on the HSR Act Rules in a litigated matter. Bilal advises clients across a broad range of industries including defense, energy, financial services, health care and pharmaceutical, manufacturing, technology and transportation.

Bilal brings exceptional government-side insight to his practice. He served as Director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning from 2018 to 2021. As Director, he provided legal and policy advice to the FTC Chairman and Commissioners on antitrust and consumer protection matters. He led the drafting of the first joint DOJ and FTC Vertical Merger Guidelines (2020) and the FTC’s Commentary on Vertical Merger Enforcement (2020), directed the Commission’s Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century, and led a first-of-its-kind inquiry into the acquisition activity of major technology platforms. He previously served as Attorney Advisor to FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris (2001-2004). Bilal teaches Antitrust Law and E.U. Competition Law at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School (2011-2018; 2021-Present).

Bilal hosts Rethinking Antitrust, a podcast examining the economics, law, and policy of antitrust enforcement, and is a frequent speaker and commentator with an extensive record of publications, amicus briefs, and regulatory comments on antitrust and competition law topics.

Recognition

Lawdragon 500 Leading Antitrust & Global Competition Lawyers (2025, 2026)
JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards - Top Authors (2026)
The Best Lawyers in America - Antitrust Law (2016 - 2018)
Chambers - Antitrust (2017, 2018)
Legal 500 - Antitrust (2014 - 2018)
Super Lawyers - Antitrust (2014 - 2018)

Representative experience

Advising Bain Capital on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of BMC Software.

Advising Verizon Communications on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of MCI.

Advising Zebra Technologies on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Motorola Solutions' Enterprise business.

Advising Infineon Technologies on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of International Rectifier.

Advising Community Health Systems on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Health Management Associates.

Advising Apollo Management on antitrust clearance for its acquisitions of SMT Health Services and Alliance Imaging.

Advising Constellation Energy on antitrust clearance for its merger with Exelon.

Advising Exelon Corporation on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Pepco Holdings.

Advising Piedmont Natural Gas on antitrust clearance for its merger with Duke Energy.

Advising BP on antitrust clearance for its sale of assets to Marathon Petroleum.

Advising Northwest Airlines on antitrust clearance for its merger with Delta Air Lines.

Advising A.P. Moller/Maersk on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Sea-Land Transportation from CSX.

Advising INEOS Styrolution on worldwide merger clearance for its acquisition of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company.

Advising Tronox Limited on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of the Alkali Chemicals business of FMC Corporation.

Advising Advance Auto Parts on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of CarQuest.

Advising Fortune Brands Home and Security on antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Norcraft Companies.

Advising multiple leading investment funds including Elliott Management, Pershing Square, Jana Partners, Third Point, and Trian Fund Management on HSR Act compliance, worldwide merger notification, and general antitrust counseling.

Advising ExxonMobil in the FTC's investigation of U.S. gasoline pricing following Hurricane Katrina.

Advising ValueAct Capital in the FTC investigation of its contemporaneous investments in Baker-Hughes and Halliburton.

Advising Jean Coutu on antitrust clearance for its sale of the Brooks/Eckerd pharmacy chain to Rite-Aid.