Mallesons Stephen Jaques has announced the appointment of Kathleen Harris as special counsel, to the firm’s national competition practice.
Ms Harris has recently returned from the United States where she was the Deputy Bureau Chief of the New York Antitrust Bureau.
During her tenure at the Antitrust Bureau, Ms Harris headed several price fixing cartel cases, including acting as lead counsel for 46 US States in the Vitamins Cartel Litigation, the largest price fixing cartel matter globally. In a recent decision, the New York Supreme Court noted Ms Harris’s "extensive education and experience in complex antitrust price-fixing cases".
Specialising in intellectual property and antitrust, Ms Harris worked on the Microsoft case and was lead counsel for the States in several generic drug cases. She also led numerous national investigations and merger inquiries.
In announcing the appointment, Mallesons’ head of competition, Tony O’Malley said: "Kathleen’s extensive involvement in cartel litigation in the United States will add valuable experience to our competition law litigation capability and strengthen the firm’s national competition law practice. She brings to the firm a global perspective at a time when competition laws are being harmonised internationally. We are very pleased she has joined us."