Judge Allows Depositions of HPE Lawyers, Advisers in Juniper Merger

The judge overseeing the DOJ settlement will let states interview key figures in the acquisition.

Feb. 2, 2026 at 7:15pm

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A federal judge in San Jose, California has ruled that a group of state attorneys general can depose two lawyers and a consultant involved in Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisition of Juniper Networks. The states are challenging the Justice Department's decision to approve the merger.

Why it matters

The depositions could shed light on the reasoning behind the DOJ's decision to greenlight the HPE-Juniper merger, which some states have argued should have faced more scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

The details

US District Judge Casey Pitts said the states can interview William Levi and Mike Davis, two lawyers involved in the deal, as well as consultant Arthur Schwartz. The states are examining what led federal antitrust enforcers to approve the merger between the two tech companies.

  • The hearing took place on Monday, February 3, 2026.

The players

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

A multinational enterprise information technology company that provides servers, storage, networking, consulting and support, and financial services.

Juniper Networks Inc.

An American multinational corporation that develops and markets networking products, including routers, switches, network management software, network security products, and software-defined networking technology.

US Justice Department

The United States Department of Justice, also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government responsible for the enforcement of the law and the administration of justice.

Casey Pitts

A US District Judge presiding over the case regarding the HPE-Juniper merger.

William Levi

A lawyer involved in the HPE-Juniper merger.

Mike Davis

A lawyer involved in the HPE-Juniper merger.

Arthur Schwartz

A consultant involved in the HPE-Juniper merger.

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What’s next

The judge will allow the depositions of the two lawyers and consultant as part of the states' examination of the DOJ's approval of the HPE-Juniper merger.

The takeaway

This ruling gives state attorneys general more insight into the reasoning behind the Justice Department's decision to greenlight the acquisition, which some states have argued should have faced more antitrust scrutiny.