Howard Morse is a Washington-DC based partner in Cooley LLP’s antitrust practice group. He represents businesses before the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and State Attorneys General in investigations involving mergers and acquisitions as well as alleged monopolization and restraint of trade cases. He also counsels on antitrust issues to help clients achieve their business goals without violating antitrust law and represents clients in antitrust litigation.

Howard regularly helps businesses navigate mergers and acquisitions through the HSR regulatory review process, particularly in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device, computer hardware and software, and other high-tech industries.

He has recently represented Meredith Corporation in its $2.8 billion acquisition of Time Inc., combining the companies’ magazine portfolios; Abaxis Inc. in its $2 billion sale to Zoetis Inc., combining their animal health businesses; Zeltiq Aesthetics in its $2.4 billion sale to Allergan plc., combining Zeltiq’s flagship CoolSculpting body contouring system with Allergan’s global aesthetics business; and Rovi in its $1.1 billion acquisition of Tivo, combining two media and entertainment technology innovators.

Howard served for ten years at the FTC where he was Assistant Director of the Bureau of Competition and Deputy Assistant Director for Policy. He was responsible for more than 75 enforcement actions while at the FTC and received the FTC’s Award for Superior Service for “furthering the Commission’s Merger Enforcement Program” and for “advancing the antitrust mission of the Federal Trade Commission in innovation markets and high technology industries.”

Howard has been active in the ABA Antitrust Section, serving on the Section’s Council as well as chairing its Federal Civil Enforcement, Computer Industry, Intellectual Property, and Exemptions and Immunities committees, and serving as editor of the Annual Antitrust Law Developments book.

Howard has been recognized as a leading antitrust lawyer by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers, Expert Guides to the World’s Leading Competition Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal: Competition, and Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences, and has been recognized as a Client Service All-Star by BTI.

Chambers has described Howard as "both knowledgeable and practical," "a well-respected antitrust counselor, particularly experienced in advising hi-tech companies on the intersection between antitrust and IP law" and “well regarded for his work on both the transactional and litigation side of antitrust matters.”

Howard is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. When not helping clients, Howard can be found sailing, scuba diving, skiing, or traveling with his family.