Live Nation, the Ticketmaster owner, has hired Dan Wall, a veteran antitrust lawyer and former chair of Latham & Watkins law firm’s antitrust practice. Wall will join Live Nation as its executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.
The company said in a statement that Wall is a “key advisor,” having worked on the company’s cases for more than 12 years while at Latham & Watkins. In an interview, Wall said he had been discussing the possibility of an advisory role with the company executives over three years ago.
Live Nation is facing U.S. antitrust scrutiny, particularly after its botched sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets last year, which saw Ticketmaster come under fire from fans and lawsuits, accusing it of having too much control over the market for concert tickets. The company has denied any anti-competitive practices. However, they remain under a consent decree with the Justice Department following their merger in 2010.
At Latham & Watkins, Wall was also the leader of American Airlines Group’s defense team during the trial against the Justice Department’s case to block its partnership with JetBlue Airways Corp. Other clients have included insurance broker Aon plc and technology company Broadcom Inc.
Rich Trobman, chair and managing partner of Latham & Watkins, said in a statement that Wall “is a brilliant antitrust lawyer and a preeminent practitioner” who has been a key figure in the firm’s antitrust practice for over 12 years.
Wall officially retired from Latham & Watkins on Jan 31, 2020, and will now be taking his role as executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Live Nation. He said his position is intended to capture “high-profile strategic projects, compliance issues, and government relations.” Overall, Dan Wall looks to be a great addition to Live Nation as they strive to overcome their antitrust scrutiny.
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Live Nation hires ex-Latham antitrust chief Dan Wall