Competition

  • March 21, 2024

    Barings' Exec Helped Raid Employees To Join Rival, Suit Says

    A former executive of the investment firm Barings LLC is accused of joining a rival firm who together conspired to hire away 21 Barings employees and then offered to buy the decimated Barings unit for "on the dollar" in "one of the largest corporate raids at an asset manager in years," a suit alleges.

  • March 21, 2024

    CFPB Head Sees Flaws In Capital One-Discover Deal Rationale

    The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau pushed back on Thursday against the notion that an industry's biggest firms must be put in check through mergers between other large players in that sector, offering an indirect rebuttal to the reasoning floated by Capital One in its bid to buy Discover Financial for $35.3 billion.

  • March 21, 2024

    Faegre Drinker Hires Indianapolis Litigation Boutique Founder

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has hired a founding partner of Indianapolis litigation boutique Hoover Hull Turner LLP, who joins the firm as a partner to continue her practice centered on business litigation matters, the firm recently announced.

  • March 21, 2024

    DOJ Sues Apple, Rounds Out US Claims Against Tech Big 4

    The U.S. Department of Justice and several state attorneys general on Thursday launched an antitrust suit against Apple, accusing the world's dominant smartphone maker of maintaining an anti-competitive monopoly over its iron grip over the iPhone, rounding out the quartet of long-anticipated government antitrust litigation already proceeding against Google, Meta and Amazon.

  • March 21, 2024

    FDIC To Target Deals Creating Cos. With $100B-Plus In Assets

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Thursday approved a policy proposal that floats new ways the agency would assess the "financial stability" of proposed mergers between insured depository institutions, for the first time identifying $100 billion in assets as the threshold for deals that would get "added scrutiny."

  • March 20, 2024

    Gas Buyers Want Judge Recused From Shale Cartel Suits

    A would-be class of gasoline buyers pursuing antitrust claims against a string of shale oil producers told a Nevada federal judge on Tuesday that her admitted ownership of stock in Exxon Mobil Corp. required her to recuse herself from presiding over the litigation.

  • March 20, 2024

    UFC To Pay Fighters $335M To Settle Wage Suppression Suit

    The parent company of UFC revealed Wednesday that it will pay $335 million to settle a class action alleging fighters' wages were suppressed by up to $1.6 billion, a move that comes after the two sides entered mediation last month ahead of a now-vacated trial.

  • March 20, 2024

    UK Gov't Launches Plan To Reverse Litigation-Funding Fallout

    The government has published a two-clause bill designed to overturn a ruling by Britain's Supreme Court that threatened the status of many litigation-funding agreements, ending most of the speculation about how the effects of the decision will be nullified.

  • March 20, 2024

    Varsity Brands Told To 'Litigate The Case,' Not Atty 'Errors'

    A Tennessee federal judge pressed Varsity Brands and the parents of cheerleader athletes accusing the cheer supply company of antitrust violations to stop bickering over procedural matters and focus on the merits of the case.

  • March 20, 2024

    Amazon Wants Rethink On E-Book Monopolization Suit

    Amazon is asking a New York federal court to reconsider U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods' rejection of the company's motion to dismiss a proposed class action alleging that the company has monopolized the e-book market, or to at least certify two questions for the Second Circuit to address on interlocutory appeal.

  • March 20, 2024

    How The Supreme Court Could Narrow Chevron

    After hours of oral argument in a closely watched administrative law case, it appeared that some U.S. Supreme Court justices could be open to limiting the opportunities for lower courts to defer to federal agencies' legal interpretations in disputes over rulemaking — and legal experts said there are a number of ways they could do it.

  • March 20, 2024

    Slaughter And May Cuts Partner Promotions By Half In 2024

    Slaughter and May said on Wednesday that it is adding to its bench of up-and-coming leaders by promoting five lawyers to its partnership — only half the number it elevated in 2023.

  • March 20, 2024

    Senators Want More Scrutiny For Defense M&A Deals

    Two U.S. senators are calling on the Pentagon to shift the way it reviews defense industry mergers and dedicate more staff to the task, saying that contractor consolidation is jeopardizing national security and diminishing returns for taxpayer dollars.

  • March 20, 2024

    Re/Max GC Sees Light At The End Of Antitrust Tunnel

    Re/Max general counsel Susie Winders has spent several years in a joint defense group fighting antitrust cases brought by sellers over real estate commissions, and she says she is now "very pleased" over recent settlements despite their costs.

  • March 20, 2024

    Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2024 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards.

  • March 20, 2024

    US Chamber's Litigation Funding Concerns Spur 2 State Laws

    Amid concerns from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about third-party litigation funding, including from potentially hostile foreign entities, state legislatures in Indiana and West Virginia have recently passed bills imposing restrictions on the practice.

  • March 20, 2024

    Google Fined €250M By France For Media Copyright Breaches

    France's competition regulator said Wednesday that it has hit Google with a €250 million ($271 million) fine for using content from news agencies without alerting them or payment.

  • March 19, 2024

    Hermes Faces Antitrust Suit Over Exclusive Birkin Bag Sales

    Consumers hit Hermès with a proposed antitrust class action Tuesday in California federal court, accusing the luxury fashion retailer of tying the sale of its iconic Birkin handbag to other expensive items by requiring customers to establish a "sufficient purchase history" before they can even view the bag.

  • March 19, 2024

    Texas Energy Co. Should Put Service Before Price, Court Hints

    Texas Supreme Court justices questioned an electricity provider about its argument that the Public Utility Commission of Texas' policy setting price caps during extreme events goes against state law, asking if the agency should prioritize competition over keeping "the lights on" during oral arguments Tuesday.

  • March 19, 2024

    Healthcare Provider Says Optum Can't Duck Suit Or Arbitrate

    An East San Gabriel Valley nonprofit healthcare system has urged a California federal judge not to toss, or force into arbitration, its antitrust suit accusing Optum Health of lying to patients as part of broader efforts to force the system out of the local primary care physicians market.

  • March 19, 2024

    Don't Impose Foreign Ownership Regs On ISPs, FCC Told

    As the Federal Communications Commission mulls how it's going to regulate broadband now that the Democratic majority plans to reclassify it as a Title II service, a free market think tank is urging the agency not to apply the agency's foreign ownership regulations to internet service providers.

  • March 19, 2024

    Clemson Sues Over 'Unconscionable' Fees To Exit ACC

    Clemson University on Tuesday sued the Atlantic Coast Conference in South Carolina state court, alleging that the conference is hindering its ability to explore alternative options regarding conference membership because it claims member institutions must pay an "unconscionable and unenforceable" $140 million to leave the conference.

  • March 19, 2024

    EU Accuses Kingspan Of Skirting Merger Review Demands

    The European Commission on Tuesday accused construction materials supplier Kingspan Group of providing inaccurate or misleading information during the review for the company's planned purchase of Trimo before ultimately abandoning the deal.

  • March 19, 2024

    Nippon Steel Tries To Ease Worries Over $14.9B US Steel Deal

    Nippon Steel Corp. pledged to move its North American headquarters to Pennsylvania in an attempt to assure the public that its proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel will ultimately be good for the domestic steel industry.

  • March 19, 2024

    NCAA Hit With Putative Action Challenging Prize Money Rule

    The NCAA is facing yet another legal challenge over its limits on athlete compensation, as a proposed class action in North Carolina looks to knock down the association's rules barring players from collecting prize money in outside competitions.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Biden Admin's March-In Plan Would Hurt Medical Innovation

    Author Photo

    The Biden administration's proposal to reinterpret the Bayh-Dole Act and allow the government to claw back patents when it determines that a commercialized product's price is too high would discourage private investment in important research and development, says Ken Thorpe at the Rollins School of Public Health.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

    Author Photo

    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • Reassessing Trade Secrets Amid Proposed Noncompete Ban

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's proposed ban on noncompete agreements as well as state bans make it prudent for businesses to reevaluate and reinvigorate approaches to trade secret protection, including knowing what information employees are providing to vendors, and making sure confidentiality agreements are put in place before information is shared, says Rob Jensen at Wolf Greenfield.

  • Mitigating The Risk Of Post-Closing M&A Earnout Disputes

    Author Photo

    Today's uncertain deal environment makes a well-crafted earnout an excellent way for parties to accomplish a desired transaction that would not otherwise occur, but transacting parties also need to take key steps to avoid the risk of post-closing disputes that earnouts can present, say Chad Barton and Claire Lydiard at Holland & Knight.

  • What's On The Horizon In Attorney General Enforcement

    Author Photo

    A look at recent attorney general actions, especially in the areas of antitrust and artificial intelligence, can help inform businesses on what they should expect in terms of enforcement trends as 10 attorney general races play out in 2024, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Planning For Stymied HSR Filings At FTC If Shutdown Occurs

    Author Photo

    If the government were to shut down in early March, the inability to submit Hart-Scott-Rodino filings with the Federal Trade Commission would grind transactions to a halt, and parties should consider numerous implications as they are negotiating or planning to close pending transactions, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • How High Court SEC Case Could Affect The ITC

    Author Photo

    While the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy will likely spare the U.S. International Trade Commission from major operative changes, the ITC’s ability to issue penalties for violations of its orders may change, say Gwendolyn Tawresey and Ryan Deck at Troutman Pepper.

  • HR Antitrust Compliance Crucial Amid DOJ Scrutiny

    Author Photo

    The Justice Department's Antitrust Division recently announced a required human resources component for antitrust compliance programs, which means companies should evaluate their policies to prevent, detect and remediate potential violations as they add training for HR professionals, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Mass Arb. Rule Changes May Be A Hindrance For Consumers

    Author Photo

    The American Arbitration Association's recent changes to its mass arbitration supplementary rules and fee schedule, including a shift from filing fees to initiation and per-case fees, may reduce consumers' ability to counteract businesses' mandatory arbitration agreements, say Eduard Korsinsky and Alexander Krot at Levi & Korsinsky.

  • ChristianaCare Settlement Reveals FCA Pitfalls For Hospitals

    Author Photo

    ChristianaCare's False Claims Act settlement in December is the first one based on a hospital allegedly providing private physicians with free services in the form of hospital-employed clinicians and provides important compliance lessons as the government ramps up scrutiny of compensation arrangements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

    Author Photo

    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • The Latest Antitrust Areas For In-House Counsel To Watch

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission's increasingly aggressive approach to antitrust enforcement means in-house counsel should closely monitor five key compliance issues, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • NCAA's Antitrust Litigation History Offers Clues For NIL Case

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Perkins Coie analyze the NCAA's long history of antitrust litigation to predict how state attorney general claims against NCAA recruiting rules surrounding name, image and likeness discussions will stand up in Tennessee federal court.

  • Opinion

    Proposed Rule Could Impair MDL Flexibility, Harm Plaintiffs

    Author Photo

    While proposed Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16.1 is intended to enhance the management of multidistrict litigation proceedings, its one-size-fits-all requirements could stifle the flexibility that judges need to address the varying circumstances of MDLs effectively, and jeopardize plaintiffs' ability to pursue justice, say Christopher Seeger and Jennifer Scullion at Seeger Weiss.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Competition archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!