Profile details
About Jan Rybnicek
Jan is a partner in our antitrust, competition and trade group, based in Washington, DC.
Jan represents clients on a range of antitrust issues relating to the US merger control and review process, multijurisdictional merger control, joint ventures, civil antitrust litigation, and investigations before the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Prior to rejoining Freshfields in 2015, Jan served as an attorney adviser to a FTC Commissioner. While at the FTC, Jan advised on a range of competition and consumer protection issues, including providing merger and conduct enforcement recommendations, developing legislation and policy initiatives with Congress, and drafting formal statements, policy speeches, and Congressional testimony.
Jan has published several articles on antitrust law and policy. Jan was awarded the 2019 Antitrust Writing Award, a joint initiative between Concurrences Review and the George Washington University Law School, in the Best Business Article, General category for "Hipster Antitrust Meets Public Choice Economics: The Consumer Welfare Standard, Rule of Law, and Rent Seeking." Jan also was award the 2017 Antitrust Writing Award in the Best Academic Article, Mergers category for his article “A Hedgehog in Fox’s Clothing? The Misapplication of GUPPI Analysis.”
Jan is an Adjunct Professor and Senior Fellow at the Global Antitrust Institute at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he teaches courses in antitrust law and economics. Jan is an active member of the ABA’s Antitrust Section and currently serves as an Editor for the Antitrust Law Journal, a leading publication for antitrust law, policy, and economics that is widely read by the antitrust bar.
Recent work
- Advising Messer Group & CVC Capital Partners with respect to their $3.3bn acquisition of North American industrial gas assets required to be divested as a result of the FTC’s investigation of Linde/Praxair.
- Advising Evonik Industries in connection with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s investigation into Evonik’s $630m acquisition of the precipitated silica business from J.M. Huber Corporation.
- Advising AB InBev on western hemisphere merger clearance processes for its acquisition of SABMiller. Jan coordinated and directed strategy to obtain the necessary authorizations, including overall strategy, meetings with regulators and negotiation of merger remedies. Read more about the deal in our case study.
- Advising EMI on the FTC’s investigation into Sony’s $2.2bn acquisition of EMI’s music publishing business and Universal’s $3bn acquisition of EMI’s recorded music business.
- Advising Hachette Book Group in Unites States of America v. Apple, Inc., the DOJ and state attorneys general investigations of eBooks’ pricing and related class action litigation consolidated in New York.
Qualifications
Education
- JD, magna cum laude, Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University .
- BS in business administration, with honors, University of North Carolina.
Professional
- Admitted to practice in Washington, DC and the State of New York.
- Active member of the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law.
- Editor of the Antitrust Law Journal.
- Adjunct Professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University
- Law clerk to the Honorable Mark S. Davis of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Awards and recognitions
- Who's Who Legal: Competition Future Leaders 2023