Microsoft Gains Powerful Allies in Case

Microsoft Corp. expands its roster of powerful allies in its antitrust trial this week as former lawyers for presidents Clinton and Bush and two former U.S. attorneys general argue in legal filings that the software giant didn’t violate any federal laws. Lawyers aligning themselves with the company also include the man who was general counsel for AT&T; Corp. when it agreed in the 1980s to split into the nation’s Bell companies as part of another Justice Department lawsuit. The Washington-based Assn. for Competitive Technology confirmed that it will file the “friend of the court” brief later this week supporting Microsoft’s arguments. . Among the heavyweights are Lloyd Cutler, a former counsel to Clinton and Carter who was hired by the industry group. Others supporting Microsoft now include Boyden Gray, counsel to President Bush until 1993; Griffin Bell, U.S. attorney general under Carter and a former federal appeals court judge; Howard Trienens, the former AT&T; lawyer; and Nicholas Katzenbach, attorney general under Lyndon Johnson.