The American Antitrust Institute (AAI) and the Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) are pleased to announce that Kellie Lerner has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Hollis Salzman Memorial Leadership Award. Ms. Lerner will be honored at AAI’s Awards Night on November 9, 2022 in Washington, DC.
“Like her partner, Hollis Salzman, Kellie leads with integrity, collegiality and inclusion in everything she does,” said a colleague who nominated her for the award. “She is trusted by everyone she encounters because of her core honesty, a trait that has also contributed to her sterling reputation with the bench. Kellie is generous with her time and her talent, always willing to advise and problem solve with her colleagues, within her firm and outside as well. She carries on the warmth, kindness, and humor that were so emblematic of Hollis.”
A partner at Robins Kaplan in New York, Ms. Lerner is nationally recognized for her work over the last two decades representing clients in high-stakes antitrust disputes across the country. She has successfully led numerous antitrust class actions and currently serves or has recently served in leadership positions in BCBSM, Inc. v. Vyera Pharmaceuticals, LLC, et al., In re Merck Mumps Vaccine Antitrust Litig., In re Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litig., and Sterk, et al. v. The Bank of Nova Scotia, et al. Ms. Lerner is particularly adept at identifying new antitrust actions, initiating the first antitrust class action lawsuits in the country in dozens of actions that have ultimately resulted in billions of dollars in recoveries for victims of anticompetitive conduct.
Chambers USA recognized Ms. Lerner as one of the country’s top plaintiff’s antitrust attorneys, describing her as “a brilliant tactician and a fierce litigator. She does this while maintaining a cordial relationship both with other plaintiffs’ counsel and with defense counsel.” The Legal 500 USA also praised Ms. Lerner for her “superior intellect, determination and political savvy in getting the job done.”
Ms. Lerner is a member of the Executive Committee and the Chair of Diversity for the Antitrust Section of the New York State Bar Association, a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Consumer Antitrust Studies at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Co-Chair of the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Litigation Affinity Group, Executive Committee Member and Treasurer of COSAL, and an Editor of the ABA’s Antitrust magazine. She co-founded Roseann’s Gift, is a member of the Tri-State Area Advisory Board of Jumpstart, and currently provides pro bono assistance to Kids In Need of Defense and Lambda Legal. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors for the Jewish Community Project and has previously provided assistance to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, AARP, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.
AAI and COSAL created the Hollis Salzman Memorial Leadership Award in 2021 to honor the life of Hollis Salzman, a friend, colleague, and incomparable member of the antitrust community. The inaugural recipient was Lin Y. Chan. One of the nation’s leading antitrust attorneys, Ms. Salzman spent more than 25 years litigating some of the world’s largest cases and recovered over $2 billion in settlements for victims of antitrust cartel and unfair competition practices. She was a champion of gender equality and diversity in her profession, embracing her role as a mentor and role model to other female attorneys, and helping to inspire them to shine on their own merit. “Women can succeed and lead blockbuster investigations, even in a male-dominated field, without losing their identity or acting in a way that is not true to themselves,” Ms. Salzman noted. Her tireless dedication to advocating on behalf of women included an extensive pro bono practice representing indigent women and victims of domestic violence. View a video remembrance of Hollis.
