Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Strong antitrust enforcement is vital to the preservation of a healthy competitive climate in Illinois.  The Antitrust Bureau, as part of the Public Interest Division, protects healthy competition and fair markets for the benefit of all Illinoisans by enforcing state and federal antitrust laws. As an AAG in the Antitrust Bureau, you will have the opportunity to challenge illegal practices like monopolization, anticompetitive mergers or acquisitions, price-fixing and market allocation agreements, and other conduct that harms competition in Illinois.

The AAGs in our Antitrust Bureau lead and participate in high-profile antitrust investigations and litigation in industries that play a major role in Illinois’ economy, such as health care, online platforms, agriculture and labor markets. Such cases include, for example, In re Suboxone Antitrust Litigation (alleging pharmaceutical manufacturer engaged in an anticompetitive product-hopping scheme to stifle generic competition); FTC, et al. v. Syngenta Crop Protection AG, et al. (alleging illegal suppression of competition from generic pesticide manufacturers through branded manufacturers’ use of “loyalty programs”), Colorado, et. al. v. Google, Inc. (alleging monopolization of search and search ads markets), and state court litigation like State v. Elite Staffing, Inc. et. al. (alleging wage-fixing and no poach agreements in the temporary staffing industry). The Antitrust Bureau frequently collaborates with the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice and other state attorneys general on investigations and enforcement actions.

Responsibilities:

An Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Bureau is responsible for, in collaboration with other Assistant Attorneys General in the Bureau, all aspects of the investigation and litigation of assigned cases, including drafting investigative memoranda, pleadings, and briefs, appearing and arguing in court, interviewing witnesses, taking depositions, and engaging in discovery, mediations, settlement negotiations, and trial, as well as generally representing the interests of the People of the State of Illinois. Antitrust AAGs also have the opportunity to work closely with other state and federal antitrust enforcement agencies, support legislative efforts, and engage in outreach to other state agencies and the community at large about antitrust issues.

Qualifications:

Candidates must be licensed by the State of Illinois at the time of application.  The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of complex civil litigation experience (including in antitrust, class action, commercial, or intellectual property litigation) but attorneys with less experience are encouraged to apply – especially those with a demonstrated interest in antitrust law. The following qualifications are a plus, but not required:

• Background in economics or data science
• Working knowledge of antitrust law
• Working knowledge of mergers, acquisitions and corporate law
• Experience investigating and building cases for litigation, including government civil law enforcement actions or criminal prosecutions
• Experience using electronic files, case management tools, and e-discovery platforms

Benefits

• Emphasis on work-life balance and generous leave policies
• Hybrid remote work policy
• Substantial autonomy and leadership opportunities in investigating and litigating antitrust violations
• Hands-on experience and significant responsibility at all career levels, including taking and defending depositions, arguing in court, and formulating case strategy
• Health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as commuter and pension benefits

Salary:

Salaries are commensurate with the number of years of practice as a licensed attorney and start at $82,392 for candidates with a minimum of five years of post-graduate legal experience.