U.S. Companies to Gain Staunch Defender in Trump DOJ Pick (1)

President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department comes with a track record that signals he could take a softer stance in policing mergers and promote a more business-friendly approach to prosecutions.

William Barr, the nominee for attorney general, spent 14 years in senior leadership at Verizon Communications Inc. and a predecessor, GTE Corp., before serving as a director at companies including Time Warner Inc. and hedge-fund firm Och-Ziff Capital Management Group.

William Barr at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 9.

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

That experience would make him the first attorney general in decades to bring an extensive corporate background to the nation’s top prosecutorial post and potentially sets ...