2025 Golden State Institute

Location: Waterfront Room (Atrium Level)

Please join the Antitrust and Consume Protection Section for an evening of appreciation, networking, and celebration in advance of the 35th Annual Golden State Institute.  Hear about more ways to get involved with the Section, connect with fellow volunteers, and meet the recipients of this year’s New Lawyers to Watch Award.

Our expert panelists will present an overview of important federal and California developments in Antitrust and Consumer Protection Section law over the last year.  The discussion will touch on criminal, civil conduct, and mergers, including an assessment of the end of the Biden administration and the beginning of the Trump administration for antitrust enforcement.

Moderator: Lee Berger, Partner Steptoe

Speakers:

• Manish Kumar, Former Deputy Assistant Attorney, General for Criminal Enforcement California Department of Justice
• Valarie Williams, Partner, Alston & Bird
• Todd Seaver, Partner, Berman Tabacco

M&A parties report thousands of transactions to US antitrust authorities under the merger reporting rules each year, making the merger review process one of the principal intersection points between antitrust enforcers and the business community.  Come hear the inside perspective from our seasoned panel of antitrust practitioners on how regulators approach merger enforcement, how in-house counsel navigate merger reviews, and emerging trends in federal, state, and international merger enforcement.

Moderator: Josh Holian, Latham & Watkins LLP

Speakers:

• Elise Nelson, Senior Competition Counsel, NVIDIA   
• Erik Herron, Assistant Regional Director, Western Competition Group, US Federal Trade Commission
• Paul Wong, Managing Director, NERA

Join us for an in-depth panel discussion on the Albertsons–Kroger merger trial, featuring insights from attorneys directly involved in the litigation. Panelists will explore the key legal and economic arguments, including market definition, labor and consumer impact, and the role of state and federal antitrust enforcement. The session will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the strategies, stakes, and implications of one of the most closely watched merger trials in recent years.

Moderator: Jill Manning, Mediator/Arbitrator/Special Master, JAMS

Speakers:

• Bryn Williams, First Assistant Attorney General, Colorado Attorney General’s Office 
• Kuru Olasa, Partner Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
• Alexis Gilman, Partner, Alston & Bird LLP

Hon. Patricia Guerrero, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court 

Moderator: Steve Vieux

Speaker: Hon. Patricia Guerrero, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court

The California Law Revision Commission is studying whether the Cartwright Act should be reformed.  These efforts have focused on: (1) single firm conduct; (2) technology companies; and (3) mergers and acquisitions.  Our expert panel will summarize proposed reforms, and will update us on the Commission’s work to date.

Moderator: Dean Harvey, Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Speakers:

• David Kesslman, Co-Managing Partner, Kesselman Brantly Stockinger LL
• Eric Enson, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP
• Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy, Progressive Policy Institute

This panel will focus on the latest developments in antitrust litigation involving higher education, including financial aid, collegiate sports, and more. 

Moderator: Kyla Gibboney, Berger Montague PC

Speakers:

• Hope Brinn, Associate, Berger Montague PC
• Jamie Crooks, Partner, Fairmark Partners, LLP

AI’s future in law is yet to be written.  Yet lawyers using (and misusing) AI is happening now.  Our four scenarios, acted out by leading in-house counsel and outside antitrust lawyers, will involve key professional rules in settings raising and wrestling with ethical challenges.   

Moderators:

• Jeff Van Hooreweghe, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
• Kenneth O’Rourke, Wilson Sonsini

Speakers:

• Michael Tubach, O’Melveny
• Catherine Simonsen, Partner and Co-Founder, Simonsen Sussman LLP
• Steve McIntyre, Paul Hastings
• Qianwei Fu, Partner, Zelle LLP
• Jill Manning, Mediator/Arbitrator/Special Master, JAMS
• Hannah Steinbach, Harness
• Gary Smith, Partner, Hausfeld
• Paul Riehle, FaegreDrinker

A moderated Q&A with judges from the federal judiciary who will discuss complex case management and best practices for antitrust, unfair competition and consumer protection litigation.

Moderator: Shira Liu

Speakers:

• Judge Laurel Beeler, United State District Court Northern District of California
• Judge Alex G. Tse, Magistrate Judge, United State District Court Northern District of California
• Judge Edward J. Davila, Senior District Judge, United State District Court Northern District of California

Location: Atrium Lobby (Atrium Level)

Location: Grand Ballroom

The Antitrust and Consumer Protection Section of the California Lawyers Association is pleased to honor Thomas Naif Dahdouh as the 2025 Antitrust Lawyer of the Year.  He has dedicated his career to public enforcement of federal antitrust, consumer protection and privacy laws.  For 33 years at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), he has sought to protect the American public by pursuing fair competition, shaping policy, and mentoring the next generation.