Lawyer Seeking to Block Beer Merger is Running for Office

Yesterday, I wondered who was paying the lawyers representing the 10 "beer drinkers" who are suing to block the InBev-Anheuser Busch merger. Since the lawyers declined to say who was funding the lawsuit, I figured there might be some special interest working behind the scenes. Competitors, maybe, or unions. Or distributors, or shareholders.

That could still be true. But it might also be simple politics at work. It turns out that one of the lawyers is Joseph Alioto Jr., a San Francisco antitrust lawyer who happens to be running for supervisor (basically, a city council seat.)

Alioto is the son of a former San Francisco mayor who was also an antitrust attorney.

None of the media accounts of the lawsuit that I saw have mentioned his bid for supervisor. On his campaign Web page, Alioto says of his firm: "Our cases are of the 'David v. Goliath' variety and I take pride fighting for family-owned businesses against some of the largest corporate interests in the world from the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and transportation industries."

David in this case consists of a bunch of people who supposedly are demanding that their right to drink cheap beer be protected. And Goliath is, I guess, InBev. I suppose Anheuser Busch is sort of a "family business," but it also has decided to succumb to being taken over by Goliath.

Another David and Goliath case in which the candidate has become involved is the proposed merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines. It's not clear which is David and which is Goliath in that one. It seems more like two Davids, and neither one holding a slingshot.

Lawyers for Busch and InBev have indicated that they aren't too worried about the lawsuit.