Leslie Overton

Leslie C. Overton is a nationally recognized antitrust attorney, former senior U.S. Department of Justice official and Partner and Chief Workplace Culture & Opportunity Officer at Axinn. Based in Washington, D.C., she advises companies navigating complex merger reviews, government investigations, antitrust litigation and competition issues involving federal, state and international authorities. Drawing on decades of experience in government and private practice, Overton is known for translating sophisticated antitrust challenges into practical strategies for businesses, including companies in the healthcare and technology sectors.

Overton has served in senior roles at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division under both Republican and Democratic administrations. During the Obama administration, she was Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Enforcement, overseeing more than half of the DOJ’s merger challenges during fiscal years 2012 through 2014, along with civil investigations, litigation and several criminal antitrust matters. She also served as Acting Assistant Attorney General. Earlier, during the George W. Bush administration, she was Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. Before joining Axinn in 2019, her private-sector career included partnerships at Jones Day and Alston & Bird.

Beyond her legal practice, Overton has built a reputation as a mentor and advocate for greater opportunity within the profession. Her honors include recognition by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Lawdragon, Global Competition Review’s “Women in Antitrust” and “40 Under 40,” the National Bar Association’s “40 Lawyers Under 40,” and The Root 100. She received Profiles in Diversity Journal’s Black Leadership Award and was inducted into the ABA Antitrust Law Section Women.Connected Committee’s “Hall of Fame-inism” for her mentorship and efforts to advance women in the profession.

Overton earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Early in her career, she clerked for the late U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, who became the first Black woman to serve as chief judge of the federal bench in Detroit. She is active in organizations including the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law Section and the National Bar Association.