John M. Nannes

Nannes joined the firm when Skadden first opened an office in Washington, D.C., in 1977. For the next 20 years, he handled mergers and acquisitions reviewed by the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, and represented companies in civil non-merger governmental investigations and in multidistrict treble-damage class actions. He worked frequently on antitrust problems associated with network industries such as airlines, securities, and railroads.

Between 1998 and 2001, Nannes served first as deputy assistant attorney general and then as acting assistant attorney general in charge of the antitrust division. As deputy assistant attorney general, he supervised activities of the division’s sections responsible for reviewing merger and civil non-merger activities in transportation, energy, securities, and financial markets, among others. As acting assistant attorney general, he supervised activities of all the division’s civil sections and also handled criminal matters.

Nannes returned to Skadden in 2001. After his return, he worked on a variety of merger matters, many of which had international dimensions and involved the European Commission and various other competition agencies around the world. He also represented a number of companies in connection with U.S. and international cartel investigations and in multidistrict treble-damage litigation.

He served as a special assistant to the assistant attorney general in charge of the antitrust division for a year before joining Skadden.

Nannes has taught basic antitrust and advanced antitrust at Michigan Law and Georgetown University Law Center. He has been a trustee of the Legal Aid Society of Washington, D.C., and of the Supreme Court Historical Society for over twenty years. He previously served for six years on the pro bono committee of the District of Columbia Bar and for six years on the board of directors of the District of Columbia Bar Foundation. In 2009, he received the Learned Hand Award from the American Jewish Committee. He currently serves as chair of the University of Michigan Law School Development and Alumni Relations Committee and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Nannes has been listed repeatedly in Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.