D. Bruce Hoffman returns from the Thanksgiving break no longer one of the top antitrust officials at the Federal Trade Commission. The deputy director left the agency right before the holiday to return to Hunton & Williams, where he will be temporarily assigned to the D.C. competition practice but will eventually work out of the firm's Miami office.

Hoffman was involved in some of the biggest mergers before the FTC during his three-year tenure at the agency, including NBC-Vivendi Universal, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.-Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc.-Amigos and the rival bids for P&O Princess Cruises plc. He also tackled administrative matters, playing a leading role in the FTC's efforts to streamline its merger review process. He helped draft the agency's merger review guidelines and worked to improve the FTC's ability to accept documents electronically from companies involved in mergers. Hoffman was promoted to deputy director in October 2003 after spending two years as an associate director responsible for coordinating litigation by the FTC's eight regional offices.

"The agency is going to miss him enormously," says FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz: "He has been a terrifically original thinker. He's played a big role."

Hoffman, 37, tells us the timing is right for his departure because he has finished most of the projects on his plate, including litigation against North Texas Specialty Physicians. An administrative law judge ruled Nov. 16 that the doctors illegally fixed prices. "It seemed the appropriate time to step aside and let a new person step in," he says. Returning to Hunton & Williams as a partner was an easy decision, he says. "It is a great firm, and I like the people there," he says.

Robert Rolfe, co-head of the litigation, intellectual property and antitrust practice at Hunton, says the firm expects its clients will find Hoffman's FTC experience valuable. "We are always delighted when a former colleague wants to return," Rolfe says. "Bruce is an excellent lawyer, and we are always looking for excellent lawyers."