Overview

Nicolas Stebinger, a Partner and Co-Founder of the firm, is a seasoned trial lawyer and antitrust practitioner. Nicolas has investigated, prosecuted, and defended a broad array of antitrust lawsuits. He has tried more than 40 cases, including over two dozen jury trials as lead counsel.

Prior to joining the firm, Nicolas served as Senior Trial Counsel with the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission. In that role, Nicolas represented the FTC in federal courts across the United States, challenging a wide range of mergers and anticompetitive conduct. Among other matters, Nicolas led the successful challenge of John Muir Health’s acquisition of the San Ramon Regional Medical Center. Nicolas was a member of the trial team in In re Illumina Inc. and Grail, Inc., the first successful challenge to a vertical merger in 40 years. Nicolas has trained and supported the FTC’s litigating teams in some of its highest-profile cases, including FTC v. Meta Platforms, Kroger-Albertsons, Tapestry-Capri, and IQVIA-Propel Media. Nicolas has litigated lawsuits alleging violations of the Clayton Act, the Sherman Act, the Robinson-Patman Act, and the FTC Act. Nicolas also served as Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Competition’s Criminal Liaison Unit, which coordinates criminal referrals and parallel proceedings. Nicolas began his time at the FTC as an attorney with the Mergers III division, where he investigated mergers and acquisitions, and challenged anticompetitive transactions.

Before joining the FTC, Nicolas worked as a trial lawyer with the Office of the Public Defender in West Palm Beach, Florida. As a member of the Serious Crimes Division, Nicolas represented clients charged with the most serious crimes and facing heavy penalties. Nicolas began his legal career in New York as an attorney with the antitrust and litigation groups of an Am Law 100 law firm. 

Nicolas clerked for the Honorable James I. Cohn at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He holds a B.A. from Dickinson College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where he graduated with honors and was an editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. Prior to attending law school, Nicolas served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova.

Bars and Courts

Florida State Bar

New York State Bar

District of Columbia Bar

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida