By Andrew Longstreth 

NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Squire Sanders has picked up a trio of antitrust attorneys from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Mark Botti, who previously headed the antitrust group at Akin Gump, has joined Squire Sanders along with former Akin partners J. Brady Dugan and Anthony Swisher.

Squire Sanders CEO Jim Maiwurm said in a statement on Tuesday that expanding the firm's antitrust practice has been a key goal for the firm's Washington office, where the new arrivals are based.

"As antitrust scrutiny and enforcement continue to rise around the world, the addition of this team to the firm's existing global antitrust and regulatory capabilities will enhance our ability to support clients in this strategically critical area," Maiwurm said.

Botti said in an interview with Reuters that the global presence of Squire Sanders, which has 27 offices in 18 countries, was a key reason he joined the firm.

"While antitrust enforcement is global, it has local nuances," Botti said. "It is important to have practitioners who regularly appear before certain agencies around the world to advise your clients. You can do that with lawyers outside your firm, but it's more seamless for clients to have it all done in one firm."

Botti was at Akin for just under six years. Previously he served 13 years at the U.S. Justice Department, where he held various positions in the Antitrust Division.

Dugan spent 15 years at the Justice Department. As a prosecutor, he worked on the government's investigation into an international price-fixing cartel involving marine hose manufacturers.

Swisher's practice includes representing companies involved in mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures in front of the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department.

Akin Gump chairman R. Bruce McLean said, "We thank Mark, Brady and Anthony for their contributions and wish them well in all future endeavors."

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