Jenna Pavelec
Jenna Pavelec is an Associate at Wilkinson Stekloff. During her time at the firm, Jenna has represented clients in antitrust, consumer class action, sports, and other matters. She also has significant internal investigation experience.
Most recently, Jenna was a member of the trial team that secured a groundbreaking victory for Microsoft in the FTC’s challenge to Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision. Jenna also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in trial, appellate, and post-conviction matters in both state and federal courts.
Jenna previously served a law clerk to Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Raymond Kethledge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and Judge Amul Thapar, also on the Sixth Circuit.
Jenna graduated from Yale Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief for the Yale Journal on Regulation. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a coxswain for the women’s varsity lightweight crew team. Jenna also serves on the board for the Federalist Society’s DC Young Lawyers Chapter.
Education
- Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S., Comprehensive Honors (2014)
- Law: Yale Law School, J.D. (2017); Editor-in-Chief, Yale Journal on Regulation
Clerkship
- The Honorable Amul R. Thapar, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2017-18)
- The Honorable Raymond M. Kethledge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2018-19)
- The Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh, U.S. Supreme Court (October Term 2021)
Notable Matters
- Member of the trial team that secured a groundbreaking victory for Microsoft, defeating the FTC’s efforts to enjoin its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and winning the second-biggest merger trial in American history. Following a five-day bench trial, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley denied the FTC’s motion for preliminary injunction, finding that the FTC failed to make its case that the acquisition would substantially lessen competition in the gaming industry. Member of the team that subsequently directed post-trial legal strategy, in which Microsoft defeated the FTC’s motions in the trial court and the district court to enjoin the transaction pending an appeal, clearing the path for the deal to close.
- Member of the trial team defending Altria Group, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries in the first government entity bellwether trial, brought by the San Francisco Unified School District, in multi-district litigation arising out of Altria’s minority investment in JUUL Labs, Inc. On May 10, 2023, just one day after the team completed cross-examinations in plaintiff’s case and the defense case was about to begin, plaintiffs agreed to a global settlement with Altria that resolved the personal injury, consumer class action, and government entity cases brought in over 6,000 e-vapor cases in state and federal courts.
- Member of the trial team defending Altria Group, Inc. in an administrative trial related to the FTC’s challenge of Altria’s $12.8 billion minority investment in JUUL Labs. Obtained a full dismissal of claims against Altria by the FTC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge.