Overview
(June 27, 2019, Washington, DC) — Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce that antitrust and competition lawyer Damon Kalt has returned to the firm as a partner in its Washington office. Kalt most recently served as senior counsel for antitrust and competition at Cigna Corporation, where he played a key role in securing the Department of Justice's (DOJ) clearance of Cigna's $67 billion acquisition of pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts.
During his tenure with Cigna, Kalt advised on antitrust and competition law-related issues across the company's various lines of business including medical, pharmacy, Medicare and Medicaid. Kalt served as the primary internal counsel for all antitrust and competition aspects of Cigna's acquisition of Express Scripts, a vertical transaction that the DOJ approved unconditionally in September 2018.
In his return to Steptoe, Kalt's antitrust and competition law practice encompasses private litigation, class action defense, cartel investigations, compliance counseling, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and representing clients in connection with civil investigations by the DOJ, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, among other regulators. Kalt has represented clients across a number of industries including internet/technology, telecommunications, health care, waste services, aerospace, energy, pipelines, computer software and hardware, machine tools, financial services, and automotive repair equipment, among others. Earlier in his career, before joining Steptoe, Kalt spent five years as a trial attorney in the technology and financial services section of the DOJ's Antitrust Division.
"We are delighted to welcome Damon back to the firm," said Steptoe Chair Phil West. "His skill and experience in antitrust and competition matters has long been recognized within the firm and by our clients. His key in-house role in the recent Cigna/Express Scripts transaction will be valuable to general counsel seeking excellent antitrust lawyers who also have a keen understanding of their expectations and challenges. Damon is a strong addition to our antitrust and competition practice and we couldn't be more pleased at his return."
Kalt remarked: "As established companies seek to grow through acquisition and nascent technologies continue to enter the market, there is an ongoing need for antitrust knowledge, particularly in connection with antitrust reviews of regulated companies and high technology firms. I'm excited to be reuniting with my colleagues at Steptoe and look forward to utilizing the experience I gained at Cigna to expand the firm's antitrust and competition practice with a focus on the health care, internet and technology, and other regulated industries."
Kalt earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona, where he was a member of the Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.