22-07-2025
William H. Neukom, Microsoft Lawyer Who Led Antitrust Fight, Dies at 83
William H. Neukom, Microsoft's longtime chief lawyer, who was the company's legal field general during its bruising landmark antitrust battle with the government in the 1990s, died on July 14 at his home in Seattle. He was 83.
His death was confirmed by his son, John. The family did not state a cause.
For a time, Mr. Neukom, an ardent baseball fan, was the chief executive of his beloved San Francisco Giants, but it was his work for Microsoft that first thrust him into the national spotlight.
In the 1990s, Microsoft was the dominant technology giant of its day, and the outcome of its confrontation with the Justice Department and several states resonates today, having established legal precedents that guide the current antitrust scrutiny of other tech giants, including Alphabet, Google's corporate parent; Amazon; Apple; and Meta, Facebook's parent.
The antitrust case against Microsoft came during a crucial technology transition, as the personal computer era was giving way to the internet era.
The government's main claim was that Microsoft was trying to stifle competition through its monopoly in personal computer software, gained with its product Windows, which controlled a machine's basic operations. The government alleged that Microsoft had bullied computer companies into not offering software from upstart rivals, and that Microsoft tied new software into Windows to prevent the rise of new products and companies.
The primary target of Microsoft's campaign to thwart competition, the government said, was Netscape, the early leader in browser software, a gateway to the web.
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