AGs pursuing antitrust claims federal DOJ declined
DOJ ANTITRUST TENURE
2017–2021
Delrahim led division that reviewed major media mergers
AT&T–TIME WARNER DEAL
$85B
merger Delrahim's DOJ challenged and lost in court
SKYDANCE MERGER
$8B
estimated value of Paramount–Skydance combination
Career Arc: Federal Enforcer → Corporate Defender
FEDERAL
TRANSITION
INDUSTRY
STATE
Event Log
2017
FEDERAL
Delrahim confirmed as DOJ Antitrust Division chief
Senate-confirmed to lead the division responsible for reviewing all major mergers and competition enforcement at the federal level.
2017
FEDERAL
DOJ sues to block AT&T acquisition of Time Warner
Delrahim's DOJ files a landmark vertical merger challenge against the $85B deal, arguing it would harm competition in pay-TV distribution.
2018
FEDERAL
Federal judge rules for AT&T; DOJ appeal fails in 2019
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejects the government's case. The D.C. Circuit affirms. The vertical merger theory suffers a major courtroom setback.
2020
FEDERAL
DOJ issues vertical merger guidelines (draft)
First vertical merger guidelines since 1984, reflecting Delrahim's push to modernize enforcement frameworks. Later withdrawn by Biden DOJ in 2021.
2021
TRANSITION
Delrahim departs DOJ; joins private practice
Leaves government at end of Trump's first term. Moves to the private sector with deep institutional knowledge of federal antitrust enforcement.
2022
INDUSTRY
Paramount Global formed from ViacomCBS rebrand
Company consolidates streaming, cable, and film assets under a single brand as competition from Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon intensifies.
2023
FEDERAL
DOJ and FTC issue new Merger Guidelines
Biden administration releases updated guidelines that significantly expand vertical merger scrutiny — the theory at the heart of the states' Paramount suit.
2024
INDUSTRY
Paramount–Skydance merger announced (~$8B deal)
Skydance Media agrees to merge with Paramount Global in a deal that further consolidates Hollywood content and distribution under fewer owners.
2025
TRANSITION
Delrahim joins Paramount Skydance as Chief Legal Officer
The former federal antitrust chief becomes Paramount Skydance's top lawyer following the merger's close in August 2025, positioning the company to leverage his deep knowledge of enforcement strategy and legal vulnerability.
2025
STATE
Multistate AG coalition files antitrust suit against Paramount
State attorneys general, citing vertical integration concerns and federal enforcement gaps, bring suit under state and federal antitrust law.
2026
STATE
Delrahim publicly attacks states' legal theory
Paramount's CLO calls the states' antitrust theory legally unfounded, drawing on his own tenure overseeing similar vertical merger arguments at DOJ.
Key Actors
Makan Delrahim
Chief Legal Officer, Paramount Skydance
Formerly: Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Antitrust Division (2017–2021)
Led federal antitrust enforcement during Trump's first term; now defends Paramount against the same legal theories he once deployed
State Attorneys General Coalition
Plaintiffs
Multistate coalition using parens patriae authority to challenge media consolidation practices the federal government declined to contest
DOJ Antitrust Division
Federal enforcer (not party to this suit)
Declined to block the Paramount–Skydance merger, creating the enforcement gap states are attempting to fill