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Featured
Albertsons Paints Picture Of Dire Future Without Kroger Deal
Albertsons told an Oregon federal judge Monday that if the Federal Trade Commission is able to block a proposed merger with Kroger, it could lead to layoffs and shuttered stores, because a go-it-alone Albertsons doesn't have the wholesale buying power to compete with Walmart and Costco on prices.
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September 24, 2024
Dish Owner Tells FCC Device Unlocking Good For Competition
Dish and its parent company EchoStar are leaning on the Federal Communications Commission to finalize requirements that mobile providers unlock a customer's device within 60 days of them signing up, so they can change carriers if they want.
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September 24, 2024
Dish Slams 'Entitled' Standard General Exec's Race Bias Suit
Dish Network has called for sanctions against Soo Kim, his hedge fund Standard General and their attorneys, calling Kim's racial discrimination suit against Dish, the Federal Communications Commission and a collection of other media players "an expensive temper tantrum."
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September 24, 2024
Apple, Amazon Say Funding Sinks £500M Price Fixing Claim
Apple and Amazon urged a London tribunal on Tuesday to dismiss a consumer advocate's £500 million ($669.3 million) price fixing class action, arguing that her funding agreements disqualify her from representing the class.
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September 24, 2024
Firms Allowed To Exit IP Case After Gaining Philips' Consent
A North Carolina federal judge allowed Dentons and Morningstar Law Group to withdraw as Transtate Equipment Co. Inc.'s counsel in a copyright and unfair competition case, after a stipulation was struck with opposing attorneys representing a Dutch health technology conglomerate that initially scoffed at the request.
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September 24, 2024
Conn. Judge Sends Law Firm's Trade Secrets Case To Fla.
A Connecticut boutique law firm must go to Florida if it wants to continue pursuing its trade secrets case against a consultant it accused of making off with some of its confidential information because the Constitution State is an improper venue, a federal judge has ruled.
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September 24, 2024
DOJ Accuses Visa Of Monopolizing Debit Card Market
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Visa on Tuesday of illegally maintaining a monopoly over debit card networks by using its dominance to thwart competition from new and existing rivals, as the Biden administration continues its push to combat high prices using antitrust law.
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September 24, 2024
Water Firms Say £800M Sewage Case Is Unfit For Class Action
Six water companies argued before Britain's antitrust tribunal on Thursday that an £800 million ($1 billion) claim accusing them of underreporting sewage spills should not be certified as a class action, asserting that their status as "statutory monopolists" exempts them from competition law.
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September 24, 2024
3 Firms Rep As Blackstone, Vista Ink $8.4B Smartsheet Buy
Work management platform Smartsheet Inc. will be purchased by private equity giants Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash, take-private deal valued at around $8.4 billion that was built by three law firms, the companies said Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Nasdaq, Deutsche Boerse Targeted In EU Antitrust Raids
Nasdaq and Deutsche Boerse said Tuesday that they are among the financial services firms being investigated by the European Commission over alleged violations of EU competition laws in derivatives trading.
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September 24, 2024
Swisscom's €8B Vodafone Italia Deal Gets EU Clearance
Swisscom AG said Tuesday that Europe's competition authority has cleared its proposed €8 billion ($8.9 billion) acquisition of Vodafone Group PLC's Italian business under the bloc's foreign subsidies rules.
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September 23, 2024
Reggie Bush Says USC, NCAA, Pac-12 Exploited His Image
Former University of Southern California star running back Reggie Bush on Monday accused his alma mater, as well as the NCAA and the Pac-12 Conference, of profiting off his name, image and likeness without ever compensating him in return, according to a suit filed in California state court.
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September 23, 2024
Albertsons Says Wash. AG 'Cherry-Picked' Merger Fears
Counsel for Albertsons accused Washington regulators Monday of cherry-picking comments from the grocer's CEO hyping Kroger as key competition to bolster the government's case for blocking the merger and overcame the state's objections to introduce emails where the CEO expressed fears about Costco, Walmart and Amazon's ever-expanding reach.
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September 23, 2024
Google Executive Says There's No Internal Ad Tech Advantage
A Google executive pushed back Monday on some of the U.S. Justice Department's most important allegations of a conflict of interest in the search giant's control over online display advertising placement technology, arguing that website publishers are in charge of how ads are placed and priced.
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September 23, 2024
Helicopter Co. Used Code Names To Oust Supplier, Jury Hears
Under the code name "Project Cicada," Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. worked for years to replace California-based digital avionics equipment supplier Rogerson Aircraft Corporation with a competitor, a jury heard in a Texas state court Monday, using Rogerson's trade secrets to prep the rival for the eventual shift.
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September 23, 2024
Kroger Fights FTC's Bid To Move Constitutionality Case
Kroger is fighting to keep its challenge to the Federal Trade Commission's in-house courts in Ohio federal court, pushing back against the agency's effort to get it paused or moved to Oregon, where the FTC's case against the company's merger with Albertson's is already playing out.
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September 23, 2024
Court Sinks Antitrust Claims Against Suns Owner
A Florida federal court adopted the recommendations of a magistrate judge and tossed a mortgage broker's antitrust case against the owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and his company, United Wholesale Mortgage, over an alleged boycott.
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September 23, 2024
Medical Records Co. Accused Of Blocking Data Access
A company that helps insurance providers access patient data on Monday accused medical records company Epic Systems Corp. of violating antitrust law by using its monopoly over electronic health records to squash an emerging competitor.
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September 23, 2024
GSK Claims Pfizer Hasn't Proven Misconduct In Vax IP Fight
GlaxoSmithKline is urging a Delaware federal judge to block Pfizer and BioNTech's claims that it has misused its patents tied to COVID-19 vaccination technology, or that it and a predecessor acted inappropriately when applying for those patents.
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September 23, 2024
Edelson, Susman, Berger To Lead MultiPlan Collusion MDL
An Illinois federal judge on Monday tapped a team of lawyers from Edelson PC, Susman Godfrey LLP and Berger Montague PC to take the lead for plaintiffs in multidistrict litigation accusing MultiPlan and a host of insurers of colluding through the use of the data firm's pricing tools to systematically underpay out-of-network providers.
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September 23, 2024
Cancer Test Cos. Strike Deal For Partial End To Patent Row
Natera Inc. and Neogenomics Laboratories Inc. said they reached a confidential yet partial settlement Friday in their dispute covering intellectual property for a Natera DNA test meant to detect cancer.
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September 23, 2024
US Can't Pin Clean Water Act Violation On Fla. Farmer
A Florida federal judge recommended that a court rule in favor of a landowner sued by the government for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act after polluting wetlands to build a farm, saying a man-made ditch bordering the property isn't technically connected to navigable waters of the United States.
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September 23, 2024
Tempur Sealy Sets Divestiture Plan Ahead Of FTC Court Battle
Tempur Sealy International Inc. said Monday that it plans to sell 176 stores and seven distribution centers to Mattress Warehouse if it is able to close its planned $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm Group Inc., in an effort to appease the Federal Trade Commission in its continued efforts to block the deal.
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September 23, 2024
Consumers Seek Class Status For £800M Sewage Spill Claim
An environmental consultant told Britain's antitrust tribunal Monday that a landmark £800 million ($1 billion) claim by millions of customers who allege six water companies misled regulators by underreporting spills should be allowed to go ahead as the first environmental class action in the U.K.
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September 20, 2024
House To Weigh Patent Bill Aimed At Cutting Drug Prices
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider a bill soon that has already cleared the Senate and could streamline patent litigation by curbing the number of patents that makers of biologic drugs can assert over biosimilar drugs.
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September 20, 2024
Ad Tech Judge Not Biting On Google's Market Metaphor
Comparing Big Macs and Whoppers to undermine the Justice Department's market definition appeared to be a step too far Friday for the Virginia federal judge weighing the fate of Google's display advertising placement technology.
Editor's Picks
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FTC Gears Up For Busy 2024 Merger Summer & Fall
U.S. antitrust enforcers at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are gearing up for busy months ahead against multibillion-dollar mergers in the grocery and luxury handbags spaces, while also adjusting to a hospital loss turnaround and bracing for an important airlines deal appellate ruling.
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Enforcers Push Antitrust Agenda, Brace For Google Ruling
The first half of 2024 was marked by U.S. antitrust enforcers' pursuit of groundbreaking cases alleging anticompetitive conduct.
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FTC's Bedoya Says Labor Concerns In Mergers Matter
Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said Friday that it's important for enforcers to consider the impact mergers can have on labor, even if they never did in the past, contending that concentration can lead to lower wages and dangerous working conditions.
Expert Analysis
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Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ recently launched webpage, which details the actions — and inactions — that led to enforcement activity, provides important insights for dealmakers about filing requirements, mitigation commitments and the cost of noncompliance, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Presidents And Precedents May Direct Khan's Future Course
While the Sept. 25 technical expiration of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan's term demands no immediate action, it does invite an analysis of commission policy and post-election possibilities, says Axinn's Richard Dagen, a former FTC official.
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Boeing Ruling Is A Cautionary Tale For Trade Secret Litigants
A Washington federal court’s recent ruling canceling a $72 million jury award against Boeing because Zunum Aero had failed to properly identify its trade secrets highlights the value of an early statement of alleged secrets, amended through discovery and used as a framework at trial, says Matthew D'Amore at Cornell.
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What To Expect From Calif. Bill Regulating PE In Healthcare
A California bill currently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval, intended to increase oversight over private equity and hedge fund investments in healthcare, is emblematic of recent increased scrutiny of investments in the space, and may affect transactions and operations in California in a number of ways, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners
Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Series
After Chevron: Courts Will Still Defer To Feds On Nat'l Security
Agencies with trade responsibilities may be less affected by Chevron’s demise because of the special deference courts have shown when hearing international trade cases involving national security, foreign policy or the president’s constitutional authority to direct such matters, say attorneys at Venable.
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A Look At The Economic Impact Of Drug Patent Differentiation
Given the Federal Trade Commission’s recent emphasis on unfair competition based on disputed patent listings, pharmaceutical market participants are likely to require nuanced characterizations of actual and but-for market competition when multiple patents differentiate multiple products, say economists at Competition Dynamics.
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Google And The Next Frontier Of Divestiture Antitrust Remedy
The possibility of a large-scale divestiture in the Google search case comes on the heels of recent requests of business breakups as remedies for anticompetitive conduct, and companies should prepare for the likelihood that courts may impose divestiture remedies in the event of a liability finding, say Lauren Weinstein and Nathaniel Rubin at MoloLamken.
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Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.
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What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks
With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.
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Exploring Practical Employer Alternatives To Noncompetes
With the Federal Trade Commission likely to appeal a federal court’s recent rejection of its noncompete ban, and more states limiting the enforceability of these agreements, employers should consider back-to-basics methods for protecting their business interests and safeguarding sensitive information, says Brendan Horgan at FordHarrison.
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3 M&A Elements To Master In A Volatile Economy
The current M&A market requires a strategic approach to earnouts, past-due accounts payable and employee retention in order to mitigate risk and drive successful outcomes, says Robert Harig at Robbins DiMonte.
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It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers
Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.
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Behind 3rd Circ. Ruling On College Athletes' FLSA Eligibility
The Third Circuit's decision that college athletes are not precluded from bringing a claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act raises key questions about the practical consequences of treating collegiate athletes as employees, such as Title IX equal pay claims and potential eligibility for all employment benefits, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Complying With FTC's Final Rule On Sham Online Reviews
The Federal Trade Commission's final rule on deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials is effective Oct. 21, and some practice tips can help businesses avert noncompliance risks, say Airina Rodrigues and Jonathan Sandler at Brownstein Hyatt.