WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Susan Musser, former Chief Trial Counsel for the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition, has joined the firm as a partner and member of its industry-leading Antitrust and Competition Group.
Musser, who will be based in Washington DC, will serve as an extraordinarily experienced and effective advocate for clients facing antitrust litigation, including government enforcement. She has a deep understanding of the complex and evolving antitrust and competition landscape, having supervised the Federal Trade Commission’s busy litigation docket while first chairing some of the most significant trials of the last several years.
Musser brings to WilmerHale a distinguished record of public service and a reputation for working effectively with political appointees of both parties. During her tenure at the FTC from April 2020 to October 2025, she held multiple senior positions in the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, including being named its Acting Director earlier this year by current FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson. She was also first chair in some of the FTC’s most successful litigations in federal court and in the FTC’s administrative tribunal.
In addition, Musser’s experience as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from October 2011 to August 2017 makes her the rare antitrust practitioner with substantial civil and criminal enforcement experience at both major federal antitrust agencies.
During her DOJ tenure, Musser investigated and prosecuted domestic and international antitrust cartels, served as a member of several trial teams, argued motions, and made closing arguments in district courts across the country. Between her stints in government, she was in private practice at another international law firm, defending clients against both antitrust and white-collar allegations.
“We are excited to welcome Susan to WilmerHale,” said Anjan Sahni, WilmerHale’s Managing Partner. “Her record as a first-chair trial lawyer and her deep experience at both the FTC and DOJ make her an invaluable resource to our clients and firm.”
Musser said: “During my time at the FTC, we accomplished much for the American people. I look forward to this opportunity to use my experience alongside my new WilmerHale colleagues, who are among the nation’s best on competition issues, to help clients navigate the increasingly complex landscape of antitrust enforcement.
Musser earned her BS, magna cum laude, from St. Louis University and her JD, cum laude, from St. Louis University School of Law. She clerked for Judge Michael Wolff at the Missouri Supreme Court.