Veteran ExxonMobil Competition and Trade Regulation Lawyer Carter Simpson Joins Sonnenschein

By: Dentons | 5 Shares 283 Reads

July 07, 2010 // Franchising.com // (WASHINGTON) — Carter B. Simpson, a long-time senior lawyer for Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly-traded international oil and gas company, has joined Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP as counsel, the law firm announced today. Simpson served most recently as ExxonMobil's senior counsel for antitrust and trade regulation, directing global antitrust, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and export control and trade sanctions advice and compliance for its downstream businesses. Simpson will reside in Sonnenschein's Washington, D.C., office as part of its Energy, Antitrust and Competition, and Global Services practices.

"The breadth of our global energy practice, particularly in light of the pending combination to create SNR Denton, continues to demand the type of expertise Carter has mastered in years of service representing the world's largest oil company," said Clinton A. Vince, chair of Sonnenschein's Global Energy practice. "The diversity of his practice across key emerging areas, including antitrust, FCPA, and export control and sanctions is a wonderful complement to our energy sector strength."

"Carter's experience counseling a global corporation on all manner of competition issues in jurisdictions around the world places him among the elite lawyers practicing in his disciplines," added Katherine I. Funk, a member of Sonnenschein's Antitrust and Competition practice.

At ExxonMobil, Simpson advised the company on U.S., EU and other international antitrust laws applicable to a variety of business settings. This included information exchanges, benchmarking, standard setting and industry trade matters. Simpson also managed pricing and distribution problems related to the company's businesses, and he represented ExxonMobil in negotiations with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

With regard to international trade regulation, Simpson was responsible for advising on FCPA, trade sanctions and anti-boycott issues, as well as conducting confidential internal investigations concerning possible issues in these areas. As a result, he has extensive experience advising on complex issues arising out of ExxonMobil's global business activities in countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Thailand and Indonesia, and also in the Middle East and South America.

Simpson also represented ExxonMobil in various litigation matters involving antitrust investigations by the FTC, the U.S. Department of Justice and congressional committees. He coordinated the company's defense in numerous competition law investigations and cases brought by overseas competition authorities and in two major multi-district price fixing cases.

"Sonnenschein's energy capabilities are extremely impressive and I am very excited to be here in advance of the SNR Denton combination in the fall," said Simpson. "Energy will be a core strength of the new firm and I look forward to working with my new colleagues."

Simpson had been with Mobil Corp. prior to its 1999 merger with Exxon Corp, serving as its principal antitrust and trade regulation lawyer for all U.S. and international business units. He began his career at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, spending more than a decade there working on litigation matters. Simpson received a J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.S.E. degree from Princeton University.

With more than 700 lawyers and other professionals in 13 offices in the United States and Europe, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP (SNR) serves the legal and public interest needs of many of the world's best-known and most admired businesses, nonprofits and individuals.

On June 9, 2010, the partnerships of both SNR and UK-based Denton Wilde Sapte LLP (Denton) approved a combination to form SNR Denton, to become effective on September 30, 2010. The combination joins complementary practices with a disciplined focus on meeting evolving client needs in eight key sectors: Financial Institutions and Funds; Energy, Transport and Infrastructure; Insurance; Real Estate, Retail and Hotels; Technology, Media and Telecommunications; Health and Life Sciences; Manufacturing; and Government. With its focus on quality, the combination will include 1,400 lawyers and other professionals in 18 countries and 33 locations across four continents, including the US, UK, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and the CIS, South-East Asia, and a network of exclusively associated firms in Africa.

Further information about Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP may be found at http://www.sonnenschein.com. Further information about Denton Wilde Sapte may be found at http://www.dentonwildesapte.com. Further information about the pending combination that will form SNR Denton may be found at http://www.snrdentoncombination.com. References to SNR Denton relate to a proposed international legal practice, which has not yet become effective. Until such time, Denton Wilde Sapte LLP (incorporated in England and Wales under no. OC322045) and Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP (a US limited liability partnership, registered in Delaware), remain separate and independent legal entities. Please see the Legal Notice on www.snrdentoncombination.com for more information.