Biography • Competition

A member of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz's antitrust department, Ilene Knable Gotts represents and counsels clients on a range of antitrust matters, particularly those relating to mergers and acquisitions. Ms Gotts began her career as a staff attorney in the bureau of competition of the Federal Trade Commission in conduct and merger investigations.

In 1995, Ms Gotts served as the president of the Washington Council of Lawyers. She was the chair of the antitrust and trade regulation section of the Federal Bar Association from 1995 to 1997 and chair of the antitrust section of the New York State Bar Association in 2005 to 2006. An active participant in the section of antitrust law of the American Bar Association, Ms Gotts served as chair of the section in 2009 to 2010, and previously served as the international officer. Ms Gotts is regularly recognised as one of the world's top antitrust lawyers, including being selected in the 2007 to 2010 editions of The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers as one of the top 15 global competition lawyers, in the first tier ranking of Chambers USA Guide, and as one of the 'leading individuals' in PLC Which Lawyer Yearbook. In 2011, the New York State Bar Association antitrust section awarded Ms Gotts the William T Lifland Service Award.

Ms Gotts is the editor of the ABA antitrust section's Merger Review Process treatise and has published over 150 articles on antitrust issues relating to mergers and acquisitions and Hart-Scott-Rodino compliance. She is also a frequent lecturer on antitrust topics. She serves on the co-editor of Competition Law International and on the advisory boards of Antitrust and Trade Regulation Report, Antitrust Counselor and Antitrust Report.

Ms Gotts received her bachelor's degree magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Her law degree was awarded cum laude by Georgetown University Law Center in 1984. She currently serves on the board of legal advisers of Legal Momentum and the counsel's council of Lincoln Center.