Partner
Antitrust
“My practice deals with some of the most cutting-edge antitrust issues in the world. My work requires that I advocate for clients in complex matters where the law is often unsettled. I enjoy that challenge and I’m always working to find creative solutions for the companies I represent.”
Chambers USA, 2020-2026
Darren Tucker focuses on merger and non-merger antitrust investigations in the technology, energy, and pharmaceutical sectors. Darren draws on both his experience as a former Federal Trade Commission attorney and his nearly 20 years in private practice to provide valuable insights to clients regarding competition enforcement and policy issues. He advises clients on a range of pricing and distribution issues; helps clients close mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures worth tens of billions of dollars annually; and works on some of the most hot-button antitrust issues, including multi-sided platform markets, ESG/sustainability issues, and energy transition. Chambers USA says that Darren “is commended for his merger and conduct investigation work on behalf of technology companies. He also provides astute compliance counseling.”
In addition to representing clients before the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, Darren has extensive experience on merger and dominance investigations outside the U.S., having counseled clients on antitrust matters in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. All major legal credentialing organizations, including Chambers, Global Competition Review, and Legal 500, recognize Darren as a leading antitrust practitioner.
Darren regularly speaks and writes on antitrust issues relevant to technology, energy, and life science companies, as well as on competition agency practice and procedure. He served as the Editorial Chair of the eighth edition of Antitrust Law Developments, the leading antitrust treatise for practitioners. He also served as Editorial Chair and an Editorial Advisory Board Member for two leading antitrust periodicals. He has taught an advanced antitrust seminar as an adjunct professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. He has been part of the leadership of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law for over a decade, where he currently serves as an Officer.
Represented Sinclair in its $1.8 billion acquisition by HollyFrontier
Oasis Petroleum Inc. in a $6 billion merger of equals with Whiting Petroleum Corporation creating Chord Energy in 2022
Represented Plains All American in connection with its Permian Basin Joint Venture with Oryx Midstream
Represented Google in its $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit
Represented a leading U.S. internet services company in global dominance investigations and counseling matters
Represented a leading health care system with obtaining FTC approval for multiple acquisitions and joint ventures in the same metro area
Represented clients on competition enforcement issues related to standard essential patents, big data, pricing algorithms, and the intersection of privacy and antitrust
Education
Admissions
Client Alerts
Q2 2026 Healthcare Antitrust and Competition Update
The pace of policy initiatives, legislation, enforcement actions, and private litigation related to antitrust and competition in the healthcare sector …
August 24, 2026
August 24, 2026 • 14-minute read
Client Alerts
As artificial intelligence (“AI”) transitions from a nascent technology into a central pillar of the global economy, public and private …
June 1, 2026
June 1, 2026 • 8-minute read
Articles
How to Enforce the Robinson-Patman Act Without Reinventing Its Intent
Recent commentary has rightly drawn attention to the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) and the potential virtues of reviving enforcement after decades …
May 28, 2026
May 28, 2026 • 2-minute read
Client Alerts
Q1 2026 Healthcare Antitrust and Competition Update
The healthcare sector accounts for an increasingly significant component of the U.S. economy. Healthcare spending constitutes 18.0 percent of U.S. …
May 19, 2026
May 19, 2026 • 11-minute read
Client Alerts
Every year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) investigates high net worth individuals for failure-to-file violations of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust …
May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026 • 8-minute read
Awards & Rankings
The Legal 500 US 2026 recommended Vinson & Elkins as a leading law firm in 47 practice categories. In total, …
June 10, 2026
June 10, 2026 • 3-minute read
Awards & Rankings
Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 20 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2026: Nationwide: Energy Transition; Energy: …
June 4, 2026
June 4, 2026 • 3-minute read
Awards & Rankings
Lawdragon Names 34 Vinson & Elkins Lawyers to Its 2026 500 Leading Litigators in America Guide
Lawdragon has recognized 34 Vinson & Elkins attorneys in its 2026 500 Leading Litigators in America guide.
September 12, 2025
September 12, 2025 • 1-minute read
Awards & Rankings
The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings, LLC) has named 125 Vinson & Elkins lawyers in its “Best Lawyers” category in the 2026 edition. Additionally, 76 Vinson & Elkins attorneys have been named in the “Ones to Watch” category, which recognizes lawyers with 5–10 years’ experience. Some individuals are listed in more than one practice area, giving the firm a total of 305 rankings.
August 21, 2025
August 21, 2025 • 3-minute read
Deals & Cases
Vinson & Elkins advised Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (“PAA”), in its sale of substantially all of its Canadian natural gas liquids (NGL) business to Keyera Corp., for a cash purchase price of approximately $5.15 billion CAD.
June 17, 2025
June 17, 2025 • 1-minute read
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