Kenneth Dintzer, a leading Department of Justice litigator for more than 30 years, has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in the firm’s Antitrust and Competition, Government Contracts, and Litigation groups. Handling some of DOJ’s most high-profile and complex cases, Dintzer most recently served as deputy branch director in the National Courts Section of DOJ’s Civil Division and as senior trial counsel in DOJ’s Antitrust Division.
Dintzer led DOJ’s case in United States v. Google, securing a landmark win in a case the government argued was about “the future of the internet.” After a ten-week trial, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found that Google had monopolized the general search and search advertising markets under Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
A seasoned first-chair trial lawyer, Dintzer has served attorneys general during six presidential administrations. He has taken and defended hundreds of depositions, argued dozens of motions, and tried more than 20 cases, often as the lead or supervising attorney. He has deep experience in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and has argued more than 25 cases at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, most recently successfully defending DOJ’s bump stock regulation against takings claims. As deputy branch director, Dintzer managed more than 100 DOJ trial and appellate attorneys defending billions of dollars in claims.
“Kenneth is a preeminent trial lawyer who has led some of the most complex and high-profile cases in recent history,” said Philip T. Inglima, chair of Crowell & Moring. “When the federal government has sought to vindicate its position in court over the past three decades, policy leaders across agencies have repeatedly turned to Kenneth to take their highest-stakes, highest-value cases into the courtroom. And whether at trial or on appeal, Kenneth has consistently won those cases.”
“I have known Crowell for many years as a respected adversary and have always thought highly of the firm’s work inside the courtroom and across the negotiating table,” Dintzer said. “I am excited to be a part of the team and to bring my experience to clients who are facing litigation at a time of tremendous change, and where the outcomes will shape the future of their businesses and even their industries.”
While at DOJ, then-Attorney General Eric Holder selected Dintzer to lead the government’s defense of $40 billion in takings and exaction claims arising from the government’s bailout and partial acquisition of AIG in connection with the 2008-2009 financial crisis. In that case, Starr International v. United States, Dintzer led the 16-person trial team through nearly 100 depositions and a successful 35-day trial in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, where the court rejected plaintiffs’ claims for compensation.
Similarly, Dintzer played a major role in the Winstar cases, in which financial institutions and their shareholders sought tens of billions of dollars in damages. Named for the Supreme Court’s ruling in Winstar v. United States, these cases arose from the government’s response to the Savings & Loan crisis of the 1980s, and Congress’s eventual passage of FIRREA. With his DOJ colleagues, Dintzer tried 10 Winstar cases, argued a number of Winstar appeals, and eventually led the DOJ’s efforts in these cases.
“The current enforcement environment is changing rapidly, and we expect to see greater scrutiny from antitrust regulators across a range of areas, particularly in technology. Kenneth was one of DOJ’s leading litigators on its highest-profile matters and is a former trial attorney in the Antitrust Division. His unique experience will be invaluable to clients facing complex investigations and litigation,” said Jason Murray, co-chair of Crowell’s Antitrust and Competition Group.
“Kenneth’s depth and experience litigating matters before the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit is a tremendous asset for our clients with large, high-stakes matters before those courts,” said Daniel R. Forman, co-chair of Crowell’s Government Contracts Group.
Dintzer was recognized by the Civil Division and Executive Office for United States Attorneys for his work with DOJ’s training center at the University of South Carolina, where he has taught since 2001. He instructed government lawyers on various aspects of litigation, including trial skills, evidence, and discovery. At Crowell, Dintzer will play a key role in training and mentoring young trial lawyers, and he will serve as a part of Crowell’s annual Trial Excellence Academy.
Dintzer earned his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and his undergraduate degree in computer programming from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Prior to joining DOJ in 1992, he clerked at the United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit.
About Crowell & Moring LLP
Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
