On November 12, the antitrust community honored the life of our friend and colleague Hollis Salzman. One of the nation’s leading antitrust attorneys, Hollis 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. Her groundbreaking work as co-lead counsel in In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Litigation, a class action against many of the world’s biggest airlines, resulted in over $1.2 billion in settlements for purchasers of airfreight services. She also spent many years representing plaintiffs in In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, recovering more than $1 billion for purchasers of car parts affected by price-fixing agreements.
Hollis was a champion of gender equality and diversity in her profession. She embraced her role as a mentor and role model to other female attorneys, 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,” she said. Her tireless dedication to advocating on behalf of women included an extensive pro bono practice representing indigent women and victims of domestic violence.
Hollis was a longtime Advisory Board Member of the American Antitrust Institute. She served on the Antitrust Enforcement Awards Judging Committee in 2013, the year the awards were established. She was Vice Chair of the Committee in 2014 and Chair of the Committee from 2015 to 2017. The AAI staff greatly enjoyed working with her.
Hollis served as Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Antitrust Law Section, Co-Chair of the New York Women’s Antitrust Bar Association, and Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law’s Competition/Consumer Protection Policy and U.S. Task Force Committee. She was the Past President of the Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL).
Hollis joined Robins Kaplan in 2013 and was Managing Partner of the New York office and a member of the firm’s Executive Board. She is survived by her daughter Willa and son Finn. She is predeceased by her husband of 25 years, David Barry.
