Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP

Law Firm Overview

"A firm to turn to when all seems hopeless ...." That is the way AVH has been described by Chambers & Partners. AVH is a boutique law firm founded in 1997 by three partners from Skadden, Arps. Name partner Steve Axinn, the long-term chairman of Skadden's antitrust department, sought to create a firm that would be the best in a narrow field. AVH does not attempt to be a mega-firm with hundreds or thousands of lawyers waiting to serve all of a client's diverse legal needs. Instead, AVH is a select group of the finest lawyers from the best firms dedicated to three practice areas: antitrust, intellectual property, and litigation and regulatory.

Unencumbered by the characteristics of larger firms, AVH has proved itself to be agile, efficient, responsive, and deeply involved in its clients' issues. Notwithstanding its size (almost 60 lawyers), AVH is called upon to handle clients' largest and most strategically critical matters. For example, AVH successfully obtained antitrust and regulatory approval in the largest all-cash merger in history, valued at $41 billion. AVH was retained as lead trial counsel after the close of fact discovery in one of the most closely watched patent cases in the pharmaceutical industry, involving damages claims in excess of $1 billion. Similarly, after the close of fact discovery, after class certification, had been granted (and affirmed on appeal) and in the face of a motion for sanctions, a client turned to AVH trial lawyers to defend claims in excess of $300 million before a jury.

Areas of Practice

• Antitrust
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation

West Practice Categories

Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation & Appeals