A top official has left the the Justice Department's Antitrust Division just as it gears up for a trial over the merger of AT&T and Time Warner.

Director of Litigation Eric Mahr closed his roughly two-year tenure at the DOJ last week, he confirmed Tuesday. Mahr, a former antitrust partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, said he always planned to only stay at the DOJ for a couple of years, and that his departure is not a result of changes at the department. His predecessor, Mayer Brown's Mark Ryan, held it for a similar stretch between 2012 to 2015.

Asked why he didn't depart during the change of administration, a common time for career lawyers to leave, Mahr said it was important for him to help ensure a smooth transition.

“I wanted to make sure I stayed as long as I could to help the transition of the new group and finish up the litigation that was filed under the previous administration,” he said.

Mahr is the second lawyer to hold the director of litigation position, with Ryan being the first. In addition to collaborating with other directors in the division, such as the directors of civil and criminal enforcement, the director of litigation is charged with training and developing litigation staff lawyers, as well as taking lead roles in trials and hearings, and providing strategic guidance. The role is currently listed as vacant on the division's website.

For Mahr, working with and training young lawyers was one of the most fulfilling aspects of the job.

“I'm extremely proud of the three trial wins we had during my tenure,” Mahr said. “I'm also very proud of the fact that on those three cases, we had more than 20 lawyers take their first witness at trial. The opportunity for me to be able to help new lawyers at the division get their first trial experience was really an important part of the job and something I'm very, very proud of.”

In terms of next steps, Mahr declined to say if he has any employment plans, but he is taking time off to spend the holidays with his family and for international travel. Around this time last year, Mahr was steeped in prep for the Aetna-Humana merger trial, which began Dec. 5, 2016. That meant little time to spend the holidays with his three children.

But Mahr did say that in whatever he does next, he's sure to use his DOJ experience.

“It's been the most rewarding position I've had in my career,” Mahr said. “Mainly because of the unique combination of public service and the ability to get intense trial and litigation experience in such a short time.”

A top official has left the the Justice Department's Antitrust Division just as it gears up for a trial over the merger of AT&T and Time Warner.

Director of Litigation Eric Mahr closed his roughly two-year tenure at the DOJ last week, he confirmed Tuesday. Mahr, a former antitrust partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, said he always planned to only stay at the DOJ for a couple of years, and that his departure is not a result of changes at the department. His predecessor, Mayer Brown's Mark Ryan, held it for a similar stretch between 2012 to 2015.

Asked why he didn't depart during the change of administration, a common time for career lawyers to leave, Mahr said it was important for him to help ensure a smooth transition.

“I wanted to make sure I stayed as long as I could to help the transition of the new group and finish up the litigation that was filed under the previous administration,” he said.

Mahr is the second lawyer to hold the director of litigation position, with Ryan being the first. In addition to collaborating with other directors in the division, such as the directors of civil and criminal enforcement, the director of litigation is charged with training and developing litigation staff lawyers, as well as taking lead roles in trials and hearings, and providing strategic guidance. The role is currently listed as vacant on the division's website.

For Mahr, working with and training young lawyers was one of the most fulfilling aspects of the job.

“I'm extremely proud of the three trial wins we had during my tenure,” Mahr said. “I'm also very proud of the fact that on those three cases, we had more than 20 lawyers take their first witness at trial. The opportunity for me to be able to help new lawyers at the division get their first trial experience was really an important part of the job and something I'm very, very proud of.”

In terms of next steps, Mahr declined to say if he has any employment plans, but he is taking time off to spend the holidays with his family and for international travel. Around this time last year, Mahr was steeped in prep for the Aetna-Humana merger trial, which began Dec. 5, 2016. That meant little time to spend the holidays with his three children.

But Mahr did say that in whatever he does next, he's sure to use his DOJ experience.

“It's been the most rewarding position I've had in my career,” Mahr said. “Mainly because of the unique combination of public service and the ability to get intense trial and litigation experience in such a short time.”