Ian R. Conner

Ian Conner — former Director of the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Competition and Trial Attorney at the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice — advises leading multinational companies and private equity firms on complex antitrust and competition matters.

Ian draws on two decades of experience, as both a high-ranking enforcer and an elite private practitioner, to guide clients through their most nuanced matters, with a particular focus on:

• Merger control
• Government investigations 
• Class actions 
• Third-party representation before antitrust agencies

He leverages his comprehensive understanding of agency operations, acute business sense, and thorough knowledge of case law to develop innovative legal strategies that help clients achieve success in their highest-stakes matters. 

Ian headed antitrust enforcement at the FTC as Director of the Bureau of Competition from 2019 to 2021, and served as Deputy Director from 2017 to 2019. As Director, Ian led a staff of nearly 300 at the FTC’s Bureau of Competition through the most active enforcement year since 2000. He oversaw the creation of the agency’s Technology Enforcement Division and the release of the 2020 iteration of the vertical merger guidelines with the DOJ, as well as initiated a proposed rulemaking and re-examination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. As a testament to Ian's leadership as Director, the Bureau of Competition ranked 3rd out of 411 agency components in the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey.

Ian began his career as a Trial Attorney in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, which he joined through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. He also served as a Special Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he first-chaired trials in federal court. 

A recognized industry leader, he has held various leadership positions within the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section, including as Co-Chair of the Fall Forum (2023–2024), Vice Chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee (2017–2019), Vice Chair of the Civil Practice and Procedure Committee (2014–2017), and Founder and Co-Chair (2010–2012) and Chair (2012–2014) of the Agriculture and Food Committee. Ian was named as one of the top lateral hires of 2021 when he joined Latham.