J. Clayton “Clay” Everett, Jr. counsels clients on a range of antitrust issues. These include civil and criminal antitrust litigation, as well as merger and nonmerger investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and securing merger approvals. He has represented clients in more than 100 antitrust class actions in federal and state court. Clay also counsels clients and litigates issues at the intersection of antitrust and intellectual property law.
Clay frequently represents clients in multijurisdictional cartel investigations and litigation. He has secured declinations or immunity/leniency for clients in multiple jurisdictions around the world. He also has served as global coordinating counsel for various clients in cartel investigations, developing and implementing a global strategy for addressing multiple related investigations and follow-on damages litigation.
He is actively involved in the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law. In 2003, Clay co-chaired the Holmes Group Task Force: Status Report on Developments Relating to the Jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He currently serves on the Editorial Board for the State Antitrust Practice and Statutes. Previously he was a member of the Editorial Board for the Antitrust Law Developments Annual Update publication. Additionally, Clay served both as the chair’s assistant and the chair-elect’s assistant for the Section of Antitrust Law.
Representative matters include
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Antitrust Law, Washington, DC (2024, 2025)
Recommended, Antitrust: Cartel, The Legal 500 US (2015, 2016, 2018–2024)
Recommended, Antitrust: Civil litigation/class actions: defense, The Legal 500 US (2015, 2016, 2023)
MVP, Competition/Antitrust, Law360 (2022)
Recognized, Competition Future Leader, Global Competition Review's Who's Who Legal (2019, 2020)
Recognized, Acritas Star Lawyer (2017)
Recognized, Legal Media Group's Expert Guides for Competition and Antitrust (2015)
Rising Star, Competition/Antitrust, Law360 (2012)
Member, Competition Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2020)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Competition, Law360 (2017–2021)
Recognized, US News & World Report and Best Lawyers 2017 Practice Group of the Year for Antitrust Law
Member, American Bar Association, Section of Antitrust Law
Editorial Board, Journal of Law and Politics
Member, Order of the Coif