James J. Fredricks

A veteran of the DOJ’s International Cartel Working Group and a member of the ABA’s International Cartel Task Force, Mr. Fredricks is a leading figure in antitrust cartel enforcement. He played a major role in the most significant international and national cartel cases over the last 20 years and served as architect and principal author of the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission’s Antitrust Guidelines for International Enforcement and Cooperation.

When faced with grand jury subpoenas, search warrants or whistleblowers, companies and individuals rely on Mr. Fredricks’ advice and advocacy to navigate the most sensitive and high-stakes issues, including responding to the investigation; conducting an internal investigation; applying for leniency; negotiating cooperation, deferred prosecution or plea agreements; and litigating criminal and civil actions.

He also has extensive experience in antitrust compliance, helping clients build effective, practical programs to minimize antitrust risk without burdening business operations.

Mr. Fredricks served in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division from 2001 to 2024, most recently as chief of the Washington Criminal II Section. Under his leadership, the section brought criminal charges and secured convictions in regional, national and international cases. He has worked on antitrust matters across a broad range of industries, including technology, financial markets, pharmaceuticals, health care, agriculture, payment processing platforms, shipping, chemicals, automotive, energy, aviation, environmental services, precious metals, government contracting, construction and real estate, among others. He has also worked on other criminal matters that often arise in conjunction with antitrust investigations, including fraud, bribery and public corruption, procurement integrity and collusion, and obstruction of justice.

Mr. Fredricks also served as assistant chief of the Antitrust Division’s Appellate Section, overseeing all criminal and select civil cases in the U.S. courts of appeals and Supreme Court and litigating especially complex or critical issues in the district courts.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Fredricks was a trial attorney in the DOJ’s National Criminal Enforcement and Appellate sections, while also serving as a senior counsel to the deputy assistant attorney general for criminal antitrust enforcement and a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. Fredricks received several awards while at the DOJ, including the Hugh Morrison Award for exceptional accomplishment as an antitrust litigator and adherence to the highest principles of prosecution on behalf of the United States and the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, the DOJ’s second-highest award for employee performance. He is also a seven-time recipient of the Assistant Attorney General Award.