Paramount in advanced talks to hire former Trump antitrust official for legal team amid merger push

Paramount Global is in advanced talks to hire Makan Delrahim, a former Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, to join its legal team in a major capacity as the media company navigates post-merger leadership and potential growth moves. Delrahim, who led the Antitrust Division during President Donald Trump’s first term, has been a partner at Latham & Watkins, where he heads the firm’s global antitrust and competition practice and advised on the $8.4 billion Skydance-Paramount merger.

People with direct knowledge of the discussions said the talks are in an advanced stage and could be finalized in the coming weeks. Delrahim has been closely associated with David Ellison, the Skydance founder who now exercises significant influence over Paramount after the merger, and has served as one of Ellison’s key advisers in recent years. If confirmed, his hire would add a veteran antitrust official to Paramount’s leadership as it contemplates larger-scale deals in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

The possible addition comes amid heightened scrutiny of Paramount’s strategic options. Ellison has previously signaled an openness to pursuing transformative acquisitions, including a potential move to combine with Warner Bros. Discovery. Any such venture would invite intense antitrust review from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, with regulators expected to weigh concerns about competition across news, film, and streaming markets. Delrahim’s background—combining government antitrust experience with private practice at a premier firm—would position him to help Paramount navigate complex regulatory hurdles if the company advances on a deal of that scale.

Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Paramount was in talks to bring Delrahim on for a major legal role, and that Paramount declined to comment on the discussions. The report underscores how leadership changes at Paramount, following the merged entity’s consolidation under Ellison, are aligning the company’s legal bench with individuals who have direct experience in antitrust enforcement and large-scale deal work. The New York Post’s coverage of the talks corroborates the broader market interest in Paramount’s next moves as the company weighs growth strategies in a market where content, distribution, and platform competition are tightly regulated.

The potential hire aligns with Paramount’s broader strategy to bolster executive talent capable of shepherding complex transactions through regulatory reviews. For Delrahim, the role would leverage decades of antitrust experience—from DOJ leadership to advising on major entertainment industry mergers—to help Paramount assess deal structures, divestitures, or remedies that regulators might require to preserve competition. While the firm’s leadership has not publicly outlined a timetable for any specific transaction, the prospect of Delrahim joining Paramount’s legal team reflects an emphasis on governance and regulatory readiness at a moment of strategic recalibration for the company.

Paramount’s result-driven approach to expansion, coupled with Ellison’s control over the merged entity, indicates that the company is preparing for a potentially more aggressive push into high-profile acquisitions. The antitrust landscape remains the primary constraint, and Delrahim’s appointment—if it proceeds—could signal Paramount’s intent to pursue transactions with a robust framework to address potential anticompetitive concerns before they reach the regulator’s desk. In the near term, Paramount’s leadership is expected to navigate ongoing scrutiny, ensure competitive remedies are in place where needed, and communicate a clear regulatory strategy if and when a major deal advances. Paramount declined to comment on the discussions.

The broader market context remains unsettled as media companies reassess scale, content production, and distribution strategies in an environment of streaming competition and regulatory vigilance. Delrahim’s potential move to Paramount would add a high-profile antitrust practitioner to a legal team expected to steer the company through regulatory reviews and help shape the structure of any future partnerships or mergers. As Paramount continues its strategic assessment, observers will be watching how the firm balances aggressive growth with the regulatory safeguards that govern major media consolidations.

The pace and outcome of talks around Delrahim’s role remain uncertain. The industry will continue to monitor Paramount’s leadership moves and its approach to potential deals, particularly in the wake of the Paramount-Skydance merger and amid ongoing speculation about a Warner Bros. Discovery consolidation. If completed, any new senior antitrust leadership could become central to how Paramount negotiates, structures, and, if necessary, unwinds complex transactions in a competitive media landscape.