Ilene Knable Gotts is a partner in the New York City law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, where she focuses on antitrust matters, particularly relating to mergers and acquisitions. Mrs. Gotts previously worked as a staff attorney in the Federal Trade Commission's Bureaus of Competition and Consumer Protection. Mrs. Gotts served on the American Bar Association's Board of Governors from 2015-2018. From 2009-2010, she served as the Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Antitrust Law. In 2006-2007, Mrs. Gotts was the Chair of the New York State Bar Association's Antitrust Section. She has been a member of the American Law Institute for 20 years. Mrs. Gotts has had approximately 200 articles published on antitrust related topics and was the editor of three editions of the ABA's Merger Review Process book, editions of Law Business Research's Private Competition Enforcement Review, and editions of Law Business Research's Merger Control Review. She is a member of the editorial board of The Antitrust Counselor, Antitrust Report, and Competition Law International publications and of the advisory board of BNA's Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report. She received her B.A., University of Maryland (1980); J.D., Georgetown Law Center (1984); Chair, American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law (2009-10); member, American Bar Association Board of Governors.
Ms. Gotts is a co-author for Bloomberg BNA Corporate Practice Portfolio Series No. 56-4th, Antitrust Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions. This portfolio volume discusses the antitrust analysis of mergers and acquisitions, particularly under § 7 of the Clayton Act, the primary federal antitrust statute relating to business consolidations. The portfolio also provides analysis for §§ 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, § 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act and non-U.S. contexts. Transactions addressed in the portfolio include horizontal mergers, non-horizontal transactions and joint ventures. The portfolio examines the merger process, including the elements of merger agreement negotiation, notification to and review by government authorities, and litigation and relief.