Who Is Aaron Teitelbaum, The DOJ’s Antitrust Virtuoso Who Helped Topple Google’s Ad Tech Empire?
Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor
If you’re in Biglaw and haven’t heard the name Aaron Teitelbaum lately, you might want to check if your antitrust alerts are still working. The Justice Department’s lead litigator in the landmark Google ad tech monopoly case, Teitelbaum has become the lawyer tech giants dread seeing across the aisle—a modern trustbuster with the trial chops and intellectual firepower to make even the most entrenched monopolists sweat.
Who Is Aaron Teitelbaum?
Aaron Teitelbaum is Senior Litigation Counsel in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he’s spent the past three years orchestrating some of the government’s most high-stakes antitrust battles.
Before that, he cut his teeth as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Colorado, handling everything from cybercrime to election law and racking up trial wins in white collar and narcotics cases. His resume reads like a greatest hits of public service: stints as a Manhattan ADA, federal clerkships, and even a brief run as a paralegal in the DA’s office before law school.
Magna cum laude in Molecular Biology from Northwestern, a Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance (because why not), and a JD from Stanford Law. If you’re wondering whether he’s the type to cite both Blackstone and Bach in closing arguments, you’re probably not far off.
The Google Case – Closing Arguments Heard ‘Round the Web
Teitelbaum’s star turn came in the Justice Department’s successful case against Google, where he delivered closing arguments that cut through years of tech industry spin.
“These are the markets that make the free and open internet possible,” he told Judge Leonie Brinkema, framing the stakes for publishers, advertisers, and, yes, the rest of us who might prefer not to live in a digital fiefdom.
The case itself was no small feat: a 115-page ruling found Google had illegally maintained its grip on the ad tech stack, harming competition, publishers, and consumers. Teitelbaum’s advocacy helped convince the court that Google’s conduct wasn’t just aggressive business—it was exclusionary and illegal.
The result? A ruling that could force Google to divest key parts of its ad tech empire and a precedent that will echo through Silicon Valley for years.
Major Cases and Career Highlights
- Google Ad Tech Monopoly (2025): Lead DOJ trial lawyer; secured a landmark win that could reshape the online advertising industry.
- United States v. Maynard: As an AUSA, obtained conviction of a tech CEO for embezzlement and tax crimes; briefed and argued the appeal, resulting in a published Tenth Circuit opinion validating a novel embezzlement theory.
- Multiple Cybercrime and White Collar Trials: Supervised and prosecuted wiretap cases, money laundering schemes, and cybercrime investigations.
- Manhattan DA’s Office: Prosecuted violent crime and white collar cases, trying numerous matters to verdict.
Private Life and Interests
If you think Teitelbaum is all antitrust all the time, think again.
He’s a classically trained trombonist (Aspen Music Festival alum), and his LinkedIn hints at a life that balances legal rigor with musical artistry.
While he keeps his private life largely out of the headlines—no splashy Hamptons parties or viral Twitter threads—colleagues note his penchant for mentorship and his ability to make even the most arcane sections of the Sherman Act sound (almost) lyrical.
What Sets Him Apart
- Fifteen cases tried to verdict in state and federal courts, a rarity among modern antitrust litigators and his intellectual breadth encompassing science, music and law. He brings a polymath’s perspective to legal issues.
- Having spent a career in government service, ranging from the Manhattan DA’s office to the DoJ he also underscores his commitment to public service.
Aaron Teitelbaum isn’t just the latest lawyer to take on Big Tech—he’s a new archetype for the government litigator: part trial tactician, part policy wonk, part Renaissance man.
As the dust settles from the Google ad tech case, don’t be surprised if you see his name attached to the next big antitrust showdown or, at the very least, hear a few more lawyers humming his tune in the halls of justice.
