Davis Polk partner Michael Scheinkman, alongside Mark Hansen, Aaron Panner, and Kevin Huff of Kellogg Hansen, were honored as “Litigators of the Week” in AmLaw’s Litigation Daily column for securing a landmark trial victory for Meta brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC alleged that Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 allowed the company to maintain an illegal monopoly in the market for personal social-networking. Following a weeks-long trial earlier this year, U.S. District Chief Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia found this week that the FTC failed to prove its claim.

The Davis Polk trial team was led by partner Michael Scheinkman and included associate Marie Killmond. Many other attorneys and staff played key roles during the investigation stage preceding the trial, including partners James Rouhandeh, Howard Shelanski, Jesse Solomon, Sheila Adams James and counsel David Toscano, Tina Hwa Joe, Gregory Morrison and Meredith Manning.

In speaking with AmLaw, Michael highlighted the collaboration between firms, noting that the Davis Polk team worked closely with the Kellogg team from the start to “focus squarely on market definition, and show through discovery from dozens of different companies how they compete with Meta every day.” He added, “It has been a seamless and incredibly rewarding partnership—both personally and professionally—at every stage.”

“Litigators of the Week: Meta Fends Off FTC’s Social Media Monopoly Case at Trial,” AmLaw Litigation Daily (November 21, 2025) (subscription required)

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