Michael Byowitz is a partner with Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, focusing his practice on antitrust law and policy, and principally advising multinational corporations on major domestic and international mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate takeovers. He represents many clients at the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and State Attorneys General in the United States and also consults on investigations by foreign antitrust authorities in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela and many other countries. Major matters in which he has served as lead antitrust counsel include for Novartis in its acquisition of a majority interest in Alcon, Maytag Corporation in its acquisition by Whirlpool Corporation, Wal-Mart in its defense to a challenge by Puerto Rico's Secretary of Justice of its acquisition of Supermercados Amigo (involved litigation in both federal and commonwealth courts), Wal-Mart in its effort to acquire Safeway plc in the United Kingdom, Reynolds Metals in its acquisition by Alcoa Corporation, and many others.

Michael Byowitz represents the 24,000 members of the American Bar Association Section of International Law in the ABA House of Delegates (and is a member of the House Committee on Issues of Significance to the Legal Profession). Mr. Byowitz served as Chair of the International Law Section in 2005-2006, and is a former Chair of three of the Section’s Divisions (including Business Regulation and Public International Law); he is also a former Chair of the Section’s International Antitrust Law Committee. Mr. Byowitz is a Member of the Executive Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (and Chaired the City Bar’s committee evaluating Elena's Kagan qualifications to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court), and previously served as Chair of the City Bar’s Council on International Affairs (2006-2009) and as Chair of its Antitrust & Trade Regulation Committee (1998-2001). Mr. Byowitz is New York State Co-Chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, and is an honorary lifetime member of AIJA (the International Young Lawyers Association).

Mr. Byowitz writes articles on antitrust issues and is a contributor to many legal publications. He is a frequent speaker on antitrust law and compliance in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Byowitz is consistently ranked among leading antitrust specialists in peer review rankings (e.g., Global Competition Review, Who’s Who Legal, Super Lawyers, Chambers).

Mr. Byowitz holds an A.B. degree in 1973 from Columbia College and a J.D. in 1976 from New York University School of Law (Order of the Coif and editor of the Law Review). Before joining Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in 1983, Mr. Byowitz served as a Trial Attorney and Senior Trial Attorney at the Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice. He is admitted to the bar in New York (1983) and Washington, D.C. (1976).