Overview
Payton Thornton focuses his practice on all aspects of antitrust, competition, and consumer protection matters. He regularly advises clients regarding antitrust compliance, healthcare mergers and acquisitions, Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) premerger notifications and merger review, and government investigations by the antitrust agencies and state attorneys general. With extensive experience advising clients through the HSR notification process, managing document production for federal and state antitrust conduct and consumer protection investigations, and preparing advocacy materials for government merger reviews, Payton provides strategic, business-centric advice to clients, primarily in the healthcare and technology industries. He offers key guidance to clients engaging in strategic transactions throughout the HSR filing and review process, Second Requests, and merger litigation.
Payton advises clients across a variety of industries, with particularly strong experience in the life sciences, healthcare, and technology industries. He has in-depth knowledge of the new filing requirements under the HSR Act and regularly guides clients through diligence and filing premerger notifications, as well as through Second Requests and merger reviews before the antitrust agencies. Payton assists clients through complex antitrust conduct investigations before the antitrust agencies and state attorneys general.
During law school, Payton was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law, Economics and Policy.
Recognitions
- Super Lawyers, Washington, DC, Rising Star in Antitrust Litigation, 2024-2025
Community
- District of Columbia LGBTQ+ Bar Association, board member
- Gay for Good, national governance committee member
- American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section, The Antitrust Source, young lawyer representative
- American Health Law Association Antitrust Practice Group, member
Credentials
Education
George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, Antitrust Law Concentration, JD, 2022
Oklahoma State University, BS, cum laude, 2019
Admissions
District of Columbia
