At Cravath, Marriott has overseen substantial merger-related litigation, clearance matters, and government investigations for clients in sectors ranging from life sciences to tech. In one recent wave of marquee litigation, he joined forces with Latham colleagues to represent Live Nation in its DOJ antitrust action tied to the Ticketmaster merger.
What the Move Means
• Latham’s strategic antitrust push: The firm is currently ranked Band 2 in Chambers’ 2025 New York Antitrust rankings, with significant depth in merger clearance, post-transaction investigations, and follow-on litigation, especially for clients in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, tech, and manufacturing. Adding Marriott accelerates Latham’s ambition to compete with deep-rooted antitrust litigators at firms like Cravath, WilmerHale, and Skadden.
• Signaling market momentum: Marriott’s shift from Cravath—a firm known for its traditional, conservative lateral recruitment—underscores broader changes in Big Law, where competition among elite firms for laterals with regulatory gravitas is increasingly intense.
Spotlight on Marriott’s Career
- Joined Cravath in 1996, promoted to partner in 2002; over nearly three decades at the firm, he built a reputation on high‑stakes cases, often involving merger clearance and trial teams led by him.
- Illumina v. FTC: Marriott served as lead trial counsel, orchestrating the firm’s trial strategy through intricate economic and scientific testimony, culminating in a narrow but landmark victory.
- Live Nation/DOJ: He has repeatedly collaborated across firms, including with Latham, to handle DOJ challenges—most recently defending Live Nation in its ongoing DOJ Ticketmaster lawsuit.
Why It Matters
Marriott’s arrival bolsters one of Latham’s strategic pillars: providing a full-service national antitrust capability with trial-tested leadership. His track record strengthens Latham’s ability to handle matters from enforcement investigations to merger litigation—a crucial value proposition for corporate clients facing heightened global regulatory scrutiny.
For Cravath, this departure reflects an evolving lateral market where even longtime firm stalwarts are transitioning to firms with expanding regulatory and antitrust ambitions. It’s part of a broader theme in legal hiring: elite litigators with cross-border regulatory aptitude are increasingly open to moves that align with their strategic, high-volume transactional antitrust trajectory.
