Updated 12:47 p.m.
A former top antitrust enforcer for the Justice Department has joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington.
Sharis Pozen, former acting assistant attorney general for DOJ's Antitrust Division, joins Skadden's antitrust and competition practice as a partner.
At DOJ, Pozen led the successful effort to block the $39 billion merger between T-Mobile USA and AT&T. In April, Pozen led a team of DOJ attorneys who filed suit against Apple and e-book publishers, accusing them of price fixing.
In an interview, Pozen said that she looks forward to her return to private practice after three-and-a-half years with the department. "Skadden's global client base and their extensive base of practices are unmatched," she said.
Pozen's career began at the Federal Trade Commission, where she spent more than five years. She then went to private practice for 15 years before joining DOJ in 2009 as the agency's chief of staff and counsel. In August 2011, she was appointed to her most recent post.
Pozen said the focus on antitrust enforcement was something President Barack Obama had preached on the campaign trail, and was a priority from day one. She echoed the sentiments of her predecessor, Christine Varney, in emphasizing that enforcement leads to greater economic growth.
"In times of economic hardship like we're in now, it is even more important to ensure that antitrust laws are enforced so that competition can thrive," Pozen said. "We set out to vigorously enforce the antitrust laws, and I think that is exactly what we did."
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