Paul Feinstein
Biography
Paul Feinstein is a partner in Haynes Boone’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group in Washington, D.C., where he advises clients on the antitrust aspects of mergers, acquisitions and related transactions. His work includes Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) reportability and filings, strategic antitrust counseling, negotiating purchase agreement terms relating to regulatory risk and/or competition, clean-team protocols, and guiding transactions through agency review and investigations. He works with deal teams and in-house counsel to identify antitrust risk early and keep transactions moving efficiently.
His transactional antitrust work supports clients in a wide range of industries, including energy, health care, engineered products, agriculture, consumer goods, entertainment, travel and hospitality, insurance, transportation, construction, cable services, animal health and automotive matters. Paul also has extensive experience counseling clients in antitrust investigations and litigation matters brought by the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general and private plaintiffs.
Before joining Haynes Boone, Paul was a partner in the antitrust group of an Am Law 100 firm. Before entering private practice, he served as an elementary school teacher in New York City through Teach for America.
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Mergers and Acquisitions
- Paul regularly advises clients across a broad range of industries on HSR and other antitrust issues relating to mergers and acquisitions. Examples of transactions include:
- Represented a global animal health company in the acquisition of a prescription drug product
- Represented a global supplier of engineered products and technologies in the acquisition of a manufacturing company
- Represented a foreign travel solutions provider in the acquisition of a travel media company
- Represented an insurance brokerage firm in the acquisition of an independent insurance broker
- Represented a global professional services company in the acquisition of a technology consulting business
- Represented a private investment company in the acquisition of a transportation company
- Represented a construction company in the acquisition of a general contractor
- Represented a private investment company in the acquisition of milling facilities
- Represented a global hospitality company in the acquisition of a hotel brand and related assets
- Represented a regional cable services provider in the acquisition of a nearby cable services provider
- Represented a music artist in the acquisition of certain intellectual property and related assets
- Represented a wine company in the acquisition of vineyards and wineries
- Represented a federal credit union in the acquisition of a regional credit union
- Represented a private investment firm in the acquisition of a health care business
- Represented an automotive company in the sale of a franchise portfolio to another automotive company
- Represented an engineering company in its sale to a private equity firm
- Represented an electric supply company in its sale to an electrical distributor
- Represented a cybersecurity company in its sale to a private equity firm
- Represented a data systems company in the sale of its equity to a private equity firm
- Represented a direct marketing company in the sale of certain products to a global home-essentials company
- Served as an antitrust advisor to a special master overseeing a highly complex court-ordered asset divestiture
Antitrust Litigation and Investigations
- Defended a poultry producer in multiple different class actions involving alleged antitrust violations under Section 1 of the Sherman Act
- Defended multiple generic pharmaceutical companies against alleged “reverse payment” patent settlement claims brought by classes of drug purchasers under the Sherman Act
- Represented several different pharmaceutical companies in multiple FTC investigations for alleged antitrust violations involving patent litigation settlements
- Represented a national health insurer in a DOJ investigation
- Represented multiple third-party witnesses in a variety of FTC and DOJ investigations
- Paul regularly advises clients across a broad range of industries on HSR and other antitrust issues relating to mergers and acquisitions. Examples of transactions include:
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- American Bar Association, Member
- Virginia State Bar, Member
- District of Columbia Bar, Member
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- Included in "Ones to Watch" category of The Best Lawyers in America, 2023-2025
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- "HSR Update: Status Quo (for Now) While Agencies Consider New Premerger Rules," co-author, Haynes Boone Client Alert, May 28, 2026.
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Education
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 2011
- B.A., University of Michigan, 2006
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Virginia
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What kinds of antitrust issues do you handle in M&A transactions?
I advise on any and all antitrust aspects relating to mergers, acquisitions and related transactions. That includes HSR reportability and filings, strategic counseling, antitrust compliance issues, negotiating purchase-agreement provisions, developing and managing clean-team protocols, and helping clients navigate agency review and investigations.
How do you work with clients during a deal?
I work closely with deal teams and in-house counsel to spot and assess antitrust issues early, minimize risk, and help keep the transaction on track. My role is to give practical guidance that supports the business objectives and timeline while addressing filing, diligence and regulatory review requirements.
Do you handle antitrust matters outside merger clearance?
Yes. In addition to transactional antitrust work, I provide day-to-day strategic counseling in connection with an array of business issues, including joint ventures, pricing policies, trade association activities, data sharing, benchmarking, and antitrust compliance programs. I also have extensive experience counseling clients in antitrust investigations and litigation brought by the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general and private plaintiffs.
What types of clients and industries have you advised?
My Haynes Boone profile includes transactional antitrust matters involving clients in industries such as energy, health care, engineered products, agriculture, consumer goods, entertainment, travel and hospitality, insurance, transportation, construction, cable services, animal health and automotive matters. I also advise private investment companies and other businesses on antitrust issues tied to acquisitions and sales.
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