Laura Collins

LAURA COLLINS draws on her experience as a former U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division trial attorney to advise clients on a wide range of antitrust and competition law matters, including merger and non-merger investigations and litigations brought by the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). She brings a global perspective to the antitrust aspects of transactions, having spent time in the London and Brussels offices of another law firm. Laura also counsels clients on a variety of other antitrust topics such as monopolization, joint ventures, pricing and distribution policies, and potentially interlocking directorates.

Laura’s industry experience is broad, involving clients in diverse industries such as aviation, energy, pharmaceuticals, technology platforms, agriculture, telecom, beverage cans, and chemicals. 

Most recently, Laura was recognized as a “Future Leader” in Competition in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions of Lexology Index. She has also been listed by Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides as a “Rising Star” in the Competition and Antitrust category in 2021 and 2022. Laura was also named one of four 2020 “Rising Stars” in the Americas in the Competition and Antitrust category by the International Financial Law Review. Additionally, in 2019, she received the “Burton Award” for Distinguished Legal Writing in Antitrust. Laura is an active member of the American Bar Association (ABA) section of Antitrust Law, where she currently serves as co-chair of the Intellectual Property Committee.

Laura is a regular contributor to the firm’s monthly Antitrust Bulletin, in which the Sidley team provides timely updates and thoughtful analysis on top of mind antitrust issues.

Transactions, Investigations, and Counseling

• Viterra, a global marketer of agricultural commodities, on global merger control clearances for its US$1.13 billion acquisition of the grains and ingredients business Gavilon from Marubeni Corporation. 
• Magna, a global automotive supplier and mobility technology company, in its acquisition of the Veoneer Active Safety business from SSW Partners for US$1.53 billion.
• Darling Ingredients in connection with its merger clearance in the US$1.1 billion acquisition of Valley Proteins, one of the largest independent rendering companies in the United States.
• United Airlines on the antitrust aspects of joint ventures and other business opportunities. 
• A Fortune 500 information technology products and services company in a Section 8 DOJ investigation.
• Rexam, a leading global beverage can manufacturer, on global merger control clearances for its US$6.9 billion takeover by U.S. rival Ball Corporation, which brought together the world’s two largest producers of aluminum beverage cans.
• Novartis AG on the US$5.4 billion sale of its animal health business to Eli Lilly, a matter closely scrutinized before clearance by the FTC.

Litigation

• Third parties in a variety of merger challenges brought by the FTC and the DOJ.
• RAG-Stiftung in the successful defense of its subsidiary Evonik’s acquisition of PeroxyChem against the FTC’s challenge in FTC v. RAG Stiftung, as well as in obtaining regulatory clearances worldwide.
• The United States in its civil challenge to Apple for price-fixing in ebooks.
• The United States in its challenges to the U.S. Airways/American Airlines and AT&T/T-Mobile mergers.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Intellectual Property Committee of the Antitrust Law Section of the ABA, Co-Chair
• ABA Antitrust Law Section, Member 
• ABA Air and Space Forum, Member
• American Bar Foundation, Lifetime Fellow
• International Aviation Club, Member