Overview
Stephen Wu is a nationally recognized antitrust lawyer who focuses his practice on defending antitrust litigation in federal courts around the country, defending mergers and acquisitions before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, and counseling clients on antitrust compliance issues.
Stephen has defended clients against unlawful conspiracy, exclusive dealing, group boycott, market allocation, monopolization, and tying claims. In addition to defending clients against litigation, Stephen regularly counsels clients on pricing and distribution and joint venture matters. He represents clients in a wide variety of industries, ranging from aerospace to healthcare to packaging. Stephen is co-chair of the Firm’s Health Antitrust Affinity Group.
Stephen has been recognized as a leading antitrust lawyer by Chambers USA, Global Competition Review, Lawyers of Color, The Legal 500 USA, The National Law Journal, and U.S. News.
Prior to joining the Firm, Stephen was an attorney for the FTC, where he received its Award for Meritorious Service. At the Firm, Stephen received McDermott’s Pro Bono and Community Service Award in 2010 for his pro bono efforts.
Results
- Obtained dismissal of federal and state antitrust and unfair competition claims against The Permanente Medical Group brought by a competing health system (NorthBay Healthcare Group v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plans, et al., (N.D. Cal.))
- Obtained favorable settlement for Roger Williams Medical Center after asserting antitrust counterclaims against a pharmaceuticals company in a patent infringement litigation involving oncology drugs (Immunomedics, Inc. v. Roger Williams Medical Center, et al., (D.N.J.))
- Defending Southern Illinois Healthcare, the largest health system in southern Illinois, in antitrust litigation brought by a competing ambulatory surgery center based on allegedly exclusive contracts (Marion Healthcare LLC v. Southern Illinois Healthcare, et al., (S.D. Ill.))
- Defended Weyerhaeuser Company in class action alleging federal antitrust price-fixing conspiracy claim (Kleen Products v. International Paper Co., (N.D. Ill.))
- Obtained dismissal of federal and state antitrust and unfair competition claims against E3/Alpine Healthcare Management brought by a competitor based on an alleged group boycott supported by allegedly exclusive contracts (Bay Area Surgical Mgmt., LLC, et al., v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., et al., (N.D. Cal.))
- Obtained summary judgment against federal antitrust conspiracy and monopolization claims, a ruling that was affirmed by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (Mercatus Group, LLC v. Lake Forest Hospital, (N.D. Ill.))
- Obtained dismissal of federal and state antitrust conspiracy and monopolization claims, and state unfair competition claims, a ruling that was affirmed by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Space Exploration Techs. Corp. v. The Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., (C.D. Cal.))
- Obtained favorable settlement of antitrust conspiracy claims brought by the DOJ and a state attorney general against a health system
- Defended several health systems in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Texas against class action lawsuits on behalf of registered nurses alleging the health systems conspired to depress compensation paid in violation of Sherman Act Section 1
- Defeated a preliminary injunction motion in defense of a “bundled” discount arrangement for the world’s largest biotechnology company (Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. v. Amgen, Inc., (D.N.J.))
- Secured global antitrust clearance with minor divestitures for $6.8 billion merger creating the world’s leading flexible packaging firm
- Secured antitrust clearance for the largest United States ambulatory surgery center chain acquisition in the history of the industry
- Secured antitrust clearance for several health system affiliations and mergers and acquisitions across the country
Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America 2021, Litigation – Antitrust
- Chambers USA, 2018 to 2020 – Ranked Band 4
- Global Competition Review, 2018 to 2019, member Global Elite antitrust and competition practice and recognized as a “top name in the practice”
- The Legal 500 USA 2016 to 2019, describing Stephen as “recommended by clients” for its Tier 1 Healthcare: service providers team, and “recommended” for civil litigation and class action defense
- U.S. News, 2018, member, Tier 1 practice for National Antitrust Law and National Antitrust Litigation
- Lawyers of Color, 2014 Hot List
- The National Law Journal, Rising Star, 2013 Chicago’s 40 Under 40
- Federal Trade Commission 2001, Award for Meritorious Service and Stephen Nye Award
Community
- American Bar Association, Section of Antitrust Law
- Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago, Law Foundation, board member
Credentials
Education
George Washington University Law School, JD, 1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BA/BS, 1996
Admissions
Illinois
Courts / Agencies
US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
US District Court for the Northern District Court of California
US District Court for the District of Columbia
US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
US District Court for the District of New Jersey
US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
