Squire Patton Boggs Raids Paul Hastings for US Antitrust Head

Michael Wise, a Paul Hastings partner who represented clients in federal competition probes, has moved to Squire Patton Boggs to oversee the firm’s US antitrust representation.

He takes over for Barry Pupkin, who retired in July, according to Squire Patton Boggs. Wise started at the firm Nov. 6 after a nearly 14-year tenure at the Los Angeles-founded Paul Hastings.

“Fewer and fewer transactions are limited to the US, and more and more transactions have cross boarder implications,” Wise said in an interview. “So I am excited to leverage that global platform” at Squire.

Wise’s hire comes as antitrust practitioners ready themselves for a second term under President-elect Donald Trump. The Trump administration will likely pull back from antitrust enforcement against Big Tech and take a more traditional approach to structural remedy guidelines, he said.

Michael Wise

“We’re going to see some of that pressure toward the top end of the market lessen which means they’ll be going after a broader set of antitrust issues,” Wise said.

At Paul Hastings, Wise said he advised HydraForce in cross boarder investigations relating to its sale to manufacturer Bosch Rexroth. Wise also noted his cross-border review for investment firm Francisco Partners for the firm’s $6.5 billion dollar acquisition of New Relic, a software security company, in 2023.

Representatives for Paul Hastings didn’t return a request for comment on Wise’s departure Tuesday.

Squire Patton Boggs has also recruited Anthony Vinci, an investor and entrepreneur who previously served as the inaugural chief technology officer for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency at the Department of Defense.

Vinci, who left his role as managing director of private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management this week, joined the firm as senior advisor on Nov. 1. He joins a team that includes former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

Anthony Vinci

Vinci said he plans to draw on his experience in the public and private sectors to advise companies amid a more adversarial global order, citing US-China trade competition and sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

As managing director on the supply chain and strategic opportunities team at Cerberus, Vinci was tasked with vetting investments in companies involved in supply chain support and national security. Vinci said he has vacated his position at Cerberus and board seats at two of its portfolio companies, aircraft systems providers RapidFlight and Revolution Space.

“When I think about coming into Squire Patton Boggs, I think I speak both languages: what the government needs to do and what investors are doing, especially around the technology areas,” Vinci said.

Representatives for Cerberus didn’t return a request for comment Tuesday.