FTC Hires High-Profile Lawyer to Help Lead Google Probe
The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday it has enlisted a seasoned litigator to help lead its antitrust investigation into whether Google Inc. has abused its dominance in Web-search advertising, a move that could provide a big boost to the agency’s legal team if it ultimately decides to bring a case against the search giant.
The commission hasn’t decided whether to file a lawsuit against the Internet giant, but the hiring of Beth Wilkinson — a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and former Justice Department prosecutor — sends a signal that the commission is prepared to take its case to court, if necessary. A Google spokesman declined to comment.
