Competition

  • March 13, 2024

    FTC Bid To Block Kroger's $25B Albertsons Deal Set For Aug.

    An Oregon federal court has scheduled an August hearing on the Federal Trade Commission's challenge of Kroger's planned $24.6 billion purchase of fellow grocery store giant Albertsons, a deal also under attack by state enforcers in Washington and Colorado.

  • March 13, 2024

    Ex-VP's 'Dereliction' Provokes Default Judgment As Sanction

    An exasperated judge in North Carolina gave an HVAC company an early win by default against a former executive accused of stealing trade secrets, calling his failure to meet discovery demands "dereliction" and granting his former employer's request for sanctions as a result.

  • March 13, 2024

    40-Nation Noncompete Must Be Nixed, Conn. Trader Says

    A Connecticut trader who quit his job at Rowayton-based Graham Capital Management LP is seeking a quick win on arguments that his two-year noncompete agreement, which he says bans him from working in more than 40 nations worldwide, is too broad to be enforced under Nutmeg State law.

  • March 13, 2024

    EB-5 Suit Says Hotel Project Tricked Non-English Speakers

    A real estate investment company is facing a proposed class action in California federal court alleging it took advantage of immigrant investors' limited English by fraudulently making them agree that the company and an Embassy Suites project could keep their investments indefinitely.

  • March 13, 2024

    CMA Fights Decision To Block Raid On Home In Cartel Probe

    Britain's antitrust watchdog challenged on Wednesday the refusal by a tribunal to grant a warrant to raid the home of an individual connected to a chemicals cartel investigation, claiming the decision could make it impossible for enforcers to search domestic properties.

  • March 13, 2024

    House OKs TikTok Divestment Bill Despite Free Speech Worry

    The House voted 352-65 on Wednesday to pass legislation that would require ByteDance Ltd. to divest TikTok or face a ban in the United States, in a vote that transcended party lines.

  • March 12, 2024

    ISPs, Public Advocates Debate Need For FCC's Equity Rule

    Two major broadband providers on Tuesday disputed the need for the federal government's new, far-reaching rule barring discrimination in broadband deployment, even as public and consumer advocates argued that equitable rollout of high-speed internet remains a national priority.

  • March 12, 2024

    Yardi, Landlords Say Hagens Berman Can't Lead Antitrust Suit

    Property management software company Yardi Systems Inc. and multiple landlords are fighting a putative class's bid to appoint Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as interim lead counsel for a rent price-fixing class action in Washington federal court.

  • March 12, 2024

    Amazon Fights FTC Bid To Split Antitrust Trial

    Amazon is urging a Washington federal court to reject a bid from the Federal Trade Commission to split the monopolization case against it into two phases, saying the court will have to consider any potential fixes when deciding if the company violated antitrust law.

  • March 12, 2024

    FTC Appoints Another ALJ To Handle 'Increased Workload'

    The Federal Trade Commission announced the appointment Tuesday of a second administrative law judge, naming a former top antitrust lawyer with the New York Attorney General's Office, with experience representing the left-leaning Open Markets Institute, as the agency presses forward with its aggressive enforcement approach.

  • March 12, 2024

    2nd Circ. Revives Parts Of McKesson Whistleblower Suit

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday revived parts of a lawsuit brought by a McKesson Corp. whistleblower who accuses the pharmaceutical company of a kickback scheme, finding that the lower court should reconsider the claims that were brought under state anti-kickback laws.

  • March 12, 2024

    Startup Founder's Attys Come 'Very Close' To More Sanctions

    A Colorado federal judge has said a geothermal startup founder's arguments for why one of his attorneys should not be sanctioned for discovery violations were "preposterous" and warned his lawyers that they came "very close" to being penalized again.

  • March 12, 2024

    Porn Stars Seek To Drop Meta Suit Due To Lack Of Evidence

    Three adult entertainment performers told a California federal court on Monday that they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans' parent to block ads for the risqué platform's competitors, saying Meta told their counsel that there's no evidence that the women's social media accounts were blacklisted.

  • March 12, 2024

    Feds Cement Plea Deals In Ready-Mix Bid Rig Case

    A Georgia concrete company and an executive accused of participating in a price-fixing and bid-rigging scheme have reached plea agreements with the federal government, according to notices filed Tuesday.

  • March 12, 2024

    Court Bars Ex-Exec From Sharing Info On Co.'s Body Armor

    A North Carolina federal court granted a defense contractor's request to stop a former sales executive from sharing confidential information and export-controlled data with a foreign rival, while the court reviews the contractor's allegations.

  • March 12, 2024

    Crocs Can't Poke Holes Through IP Defamation Case

    A Colorado federal judge has refused to grant the bulk of Crocs' bid to toss a suit from a Canadian company that settled a patent dispute with the footwear maker, but agreed to trim the case by one count.

  • March 12, 2024

    DC Circ. Questions MPLX Alternatives In FERC Decision

    D.C. Circuit judges on Tuesday pressed attorneys for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the agency's decision allowing crude oil transportation company MPLX to charge market rates on its Ozark Pipeline, questioning in particular how much capacity would be available on other lines if shippers needed an alternative to supracompetitive pricing.

  • March 12, 2024

    Apple To Allow Direct Downloads Of Apps In EU

    Apple will start allowing developers to distribute apps directly from their websites in Europe, the latest in a string of changes by the tech giant as it comes into compliance with expansive new regulations under the Digital Markets Act.

  • March 12, 2024

    IPhone Users' £853M Battery Suit Gets OK On Funding Revamp

    Apple must face an £853 million ($1 billion) class action claim alleging it concealed problems with iPhone batteries after Britain's antitrust tribunal said Tuesday that a revised litigation funding deal overcomes the hurdle recently thrown up by the country's highest court.

  • March 12, 2024

    GOP's Crapo Wants Quick Resolution Of Tax Relief Package

    The Senate Finance Committee's top Republican tax writer said Tuesday that he wants to quickly resolve sticking points in pending bipartisan tax legislation that contains key incentives for families and businesses in order to advance a bill that would boost U.S. manufacturing.

  • March 12, 2024

    FTC Welcomes Choice Hotels Dropping Wyndham Hostile Buy

    The Federal Trade Commission's top antitrust staffer said Tuesday that he was "pleased" Choice Hotels International Inc. had given up on a hostile takeover of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, warning that the deal had "posed serious competition questions."

  • March 12, 2024

    Paul Weiss' Digital Tech Chair On AI's Promises And Perils

    While generative artificial intelligence promises to increase access to justice and kill the billable hour, we don't know how to prevent it from unleashing misinformation and disinformation on the electorate, says Katherine Forrest, a former Manhattan federal judge who is now chair of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's digital technology group.

  • March 11, 2024

    Drivers Drop Uber, Lyft Price-Fix Arbitration Appeal

    The three Uber and Lyft drivers who were fighting to keep a suit accusing the ride-hailing companies of colluding to fix fare prices out of arbitration have dropped their appeal, according to a recent filing in a California state appeals court. 

  • March 11, 2024

    Google Search Judge Wary Of NYT Bid To Make Docs Public

    The D.C. federal judge weighing the fate of Google's search business pushed back during a Monday hearing on the New York Times' bid for a large scale unsealing of key contracts at the heart of the Justice Department antitrust lawsuit, although he left any final decisions for another day.

  • March 11, 2024

    States Want Info On Google-Facebook Pact In Ad Tech Case

    State-level enforcers accusing Google of monopolizing key digital ad technology are asking a Texas federal court to lift a stay on discovery for documents related to an agreement between Google and Facebook that allegedly tipped the scales of auctions in Facebook's favor to discourage use of other ad exchanges.

Expert Analysis

  • Pros And Cons Of Top-Four Network Rule In The Digital Age

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    In the era of streaming, broadcasters have recently urged the Federal Communications Commission to remove the top-four network rule — which prohibits common ownership of any two major network stations — in some or all markets, but others argue the rule preserves competition and diversity, say Gregg Skall and Ashley Brydone-Jack at Telecommunications Law Professionals.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • How Merger Review Overhaul Could Affect Health Industry

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    For those in the health care industry considering growth and expansion strategies, the antitrust agencies' recent proposals for new Hart-Scott-Rodino rules and more complex merger guidelines will increase deal timelines, the merging parties' burden, and overall uncertainty and potential antitrust risk as to the outcome, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • A Closer Look At China's Landmark Pharma Antitrust Ruling

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    The Supreme People's Court's recent decision in Yangtze River Pharma v. HIPI Pharma — the first antitrust litigation in China's active pharmaceutical ingredient sector — indicates a balanced regulatory approach between competition concerns and intellectual property rights protection, say analysts at The Brattle Group.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

  • Steps To Take On AI Operations Amid FTC's ChatGPT Probe

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    Following the Federal Trade Commission's civil investigative demand for OpenAI, it is foreseeable that many more investigations into artificial intelligence and its impact on consumers are coming, but companies can be prepared, say David Shonka and Benjamin Redgrave at Redgrave.

  • More UK Collective Actions On The Horizon After Forex Ruling

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    A U.K. appeals court's recent decision in Forex case Evans v. Barclays is likely to significantly widen the scope of opt-out collective proceedings that can be brought, paving the way for more class actions by prospective claimants who have previously been unable to bring individual claims, say Robin Henry and Tamara Davis at Collyer Bristow.

  • Conn. Ruling Highlights Keys To Certificate-Of-Need Appeals

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    The Connecticut Supreme Court's recent decision in High Watch Recovery Center v. Department of Public Health, rejecting rigid application of statutes concerning certificate-of-need procedure, provides important guidance on building an administrative record to support a finding that a case is contested, say attorneys at Robinson & Cole.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'

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    Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.

  • 4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Opinion

    'US Cyber Trust Mark' Program Threatens Privacy, Innovation

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    The Federal Communications Commission's recently announced plan to create a "U.S. Cyber Trust Mark,” which would voluntarily affix to smart devices to boost consumer confidence and industry security standards, could lead to an erosion of consumer privacy, competition, innovation, and any firewall between the government and the individual, says attorney Donna Etemadi.

  • Opinion

    Has The NCAA Not Learned NIL Policy Lessons Of The Past?

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    The NCAA has applied its heavy hand — which has been slapped back by courts and legislatures — again, saying that colleges must comply with its name, image and likeness policies even if they conflict with state laws, but recent antitrust decisions might caution against its reasoning, says Kenneth Jacobsen at Temple University.

  • Opinion

    3 Ways Justices' Disclosure Defenses Miss The Ethical Point

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    The rule-bound interpretation of financial disclosures preferred by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — demonstrated in their respective statements defending their failure to disclose gifts from billionaires — show that they do not understand the ethical aspects of the public's concern, says Jim Moliterno at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

  • FTC 'Dark Patterns' Enforcement Signals Consent Theory Shift

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Amazon for using dark patterns to trick consumers signals a general trend in American jurisprudence of importing a European theory of consent, which could result in a more turgid digital experience, says Christian Auty at BCLP.

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