Gary R. Spratling is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and co-chair of the firm's Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group.
Mr. Spratling's practice focuses on international antitrust issues and draws upon his years of experience as a U.S. government official working on policy and enforcement with antitrust authorities worldwide. Mr. Spratling's global expertise regarding the anti-cartel enforcement practices of every major competition enforcement authority, and the development of integrated international strategies in response thereto, has guided numerous successful representations of organizations and individuals facing exposure in multiple jurisdictions.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Spratling was a U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor for 28 years, serving most recently as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General responsible for investigating and prosecuting international cartels and other criminal violations of U.S. antitrust laws. He was the highest ranking career lawyer in the Antitrust Division. In addition to receiving nearly every major award given by the Department of Justice, Mr. Spratling is a two-time recipient of the Presidential Rank Award (Presidents Bush and Clinton) – the highest honor conferred on federal government executives – and was the recipient of the Antitrust Lawyer of the Year Award from the State Bar of California.
Mr. Spratling has worked extensively with foreign antitrust authorities on policy issues and enforcement practices. He organized and led the first international workshop on cartel enforcement attended by officials from nearly 30 countries and the E.U. He continues to consult with competition authorities worldwide.
Mr. Spratling has represented a large number of companies and individuals in connection with U.S. and foreign cartel investigations and litigation. At last count, he had represented parties in nearly 40 international cartel matters and in scores of leniency applications in 20 countries on 5 continents. In 2013 alone, Mr. Spratling represented clients in investigations by 27 separate enforcement authorities in 17 different jurisdictions.
Mr. Spratling is Co-Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Antitrust Section’s International Cartel Task Force, has served as a member of the ABA Antitrust Section’s governing Council and Co-Chair of its Criminal Practice and Procedure Committee, is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and its Leniency Working Group, and is a U.S. Department of Justice-appointed Non-Government Advisor to the International Competition Network (ICN). Mr. Spratling is invited to speak every year at numerous conferences and programs around the world, variously sponsored by the ABA, IBA, other bar associations, ICN, government organizations, competition enforcement agencies, and business forums. Mr. Spratling has co-chaired the ABA/IBA International Cartel Workshop all ten times it has been presented, including the 2014 Workshop in Rome.
Mr. Spratling is recognized by his peers as the preeminent attorney for international cartel matters. In just the last few years, he has been conferred such peer distinction globally (Global Competition Review’s Cartel Lawyer of the Year), nationally (Law360’s 10 Most Admired Attorneys), and locally (Best Lawyer’s San Francisco Litigation – Antitrust Lawyer of the Year).
