Competition

  • May 03, 2024

    Hospital In Novant Merger Beset By Staff Turnover, Court Told

    The Federal Trade Commission and two healthcare companies used witness testimony Friday to paint competing pictures of a North Carolina hospital at the center of a $320 million merger dispute: one in which the hospital has focused on making quality improvements, and another where it's been plagued by poor ratings and high staff turnover.

  • May 03, 2024

    Goldman Settles Decade-Old Metal-Rigging Class Action

    Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has settled a decade-old putative class action claiming the investment bank and others conspired to manipulate platinum and palladium market values, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • May 03, 2024

    DOJ Seeks Info Sharing With Texas In Google Ad Tech Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice objected on Friday to a Virginia magistrate judge's refusal to coordinate discovery in its suit accusing Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technology with a similar case from state enforcers pending in Texas, contending the information sharing is needed to maintain a level playing field.

  • May 03, 2024

    Google Blasts Epic's Post-Verdict Play Store Reforms Bid

    Google is hitting back at Epic Games' proposed injunction following its jury win on antitrust claims related to the Google Play Store and Android apps, telling a California federal judge Thursday that Epic's proposed rules cover conduct that was not presented to the jury and is "purely hypothetical."

  • May 03, 2024

    Chamber Blasts FTC Bid For Member IDs In Noncompete Suit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is defending its ability to represent anonymous members in its Texas federal suit challenging the Federal Trade Commission's pending noncompete ban, arguing that the FTC's attempt to block that representation is "radical and unprecedented."

  • May 03, 2024

    EU OKs Nippon-US Steel Deal As DOJ Causes Delayed Close

    The European Commission on Friday indicated via an annotation on its merger review page that it has given Nippon Steel's controversial $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel its unconditional approval, a move that comes just a day after the parties announced the deal would be delayed due to further scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • May 03, 2024

    Colo. Jury Hits Berkshire Unit With $7M Monopoly Verdict

    A Colorado federal jury on Friday awarded the rival of a Berkshire Hathaway-owned construction supplier $6.7 million for the larger company's monopolistic practices, hours after a judge scolded the Berkshire company's lawyer because he "crossed a line" during closings.

  • May 03, 2024

    Off The Bench: DraftKings, FIFA Warning, Charity Turmoil

    In this week's Off The Bench, DraftKings blocks a former executive from working at an emerging rival in the U.S., FIFA's transfer rules get flagged as a potential antitrust breach and the nonprofit marshaling donations to NFL safety Damar Hamlin sues its former counsel over media leaks.

  • May 03, 2024

    FTC Requests Additional Info On $16.5B Novo-Catalent Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission is seeking additional information on Novo Holdings' planned $16.5 billion acquisition of pharmaceutical services company Catalent in order to examine whether the blockbuster deal passes antitrust muster, according to a Friday securities filing.

  • May 03, 2024

    Robbins Geller Attys To Take Stand In $8M Sanctions Dispute

    A petroleum refiner will put current and former Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP attorneys on the stand May 7 in an extraordinary evidentiary hearing testing what the plaintiffs' lawyers knew about an analyst's now-discredited findings as they pursued since-nixed price-fixing claims.

  • May 03, 2024

    4th Circ. Preview: Hemp, Wells And A Withdrawal

    The Fourth Circuit's second session of 2024 will have the court pondering the tension between Virginia's recent hemp restrictions and federal regulations, and how the Truth in Lending Act impacts a case accusing PNC Bank of an unauthorized account withdrawal.

  • May 03, 2024

    UK Cites Regulatory Fears Over Utility's £89M Water Biz Buy

    The competition watchdog said on Friday that the proposed purchase of Sumisho Osaka Gas Water UK Ltd. by rival Pennon Group in a deal worth approximately £89 million ($112 million) could hinder government regulation of water companies in Britain.

  • May 03, 2024

    Exxon Closes $60B Pioneer Purchase After FTC Agreement

    Exxon Mobil Corp. said Friday that it has closed its $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources, one day after the Federal Trade Commission gave the oil giant a conditional green light to move ahead with the deal. 

  • May 03, 2024

    Cable Makers Must Face Class Action From UK Energy Customers

    Britain's antitrust court gave the go-ahead Friday for the former director of the U.K. gas regulator to lead a class action for millions of electricity customers in Britain against manufacturers of high-voltage power cables that are accused of fixing prices.

  • May 02, 2024

    7th Circ. Mostly Backs Ill. Home Health Kickbacks Judgment

    The Seventh Circuit on Thursday largely left intact an Illinois federal judge's $6 million ruling that a home health care company broke federal kickback laws, refusing to reverse the lower court's liability finding but directing it to ensure its damages award was calculated correctly.

  • May 02, 2024

    Google Judge Ponders Search Engine's Might At Trial Closings

    The quality of Google's search engine, and what it would take to actually challenge the company's grip on default placements on Apple browsers and Android phones, were top of mind Thursday for the D.C. federal judge weighing U.S. Department of Justice monopolization allegations.

  • May 02, 2024

    DOJ Wants More Info On Controversial US Steel-Nippon Deal

    U.S. Steel revealed Thursday it has received a second request for information from the U.S. Department of Justice about its controversial plan to be sold to Japan's Nippon Steel Corp., but it said the deal is on track to be completed in the second half of this year. 

  • May 02, 2024

    NFL Throws Flag On Harvard Prof's Sunday Ticket Testimony

    An attorney for the NFL urged a California federal judge Thursday to limit testimony from a Harvard law professor set to appear for the plaintiffs in an upcoming antitrust lawsuit over the Sunday Ticket television package, saying his expert report veers into impermissible legal opinions that will confuse the jury.

  • May 02, 2024

    No Atty Fees For Objectors To $5.6B Swipe Fees Settlement

    Class members who initially objected to a $5.6 billion settlement with Visa and Mastercard cannot collect nearly $1 million in attorney fees, a New York federal judge ruled Thursday, saying they haven't shown their objections to the original 2013 settlement substantially benefited the class.

  • May 02, 2024

    Chicken Buyers Request $37M More In Price-Fixing Deal Fees

    Direct broiler chicken purchasers who've inked more than $284 million in price-fixing settlements are asking an Illinois federal judge for more than $37 million in what would be a third distribution of fees and reimbursed costs to their co-lead counsel in the massive case.

  • May 02, 2024

    Ex-JPM Trader Slams DOJ's 'Rank Opportunism' In Doc Suit

    A former JPMorgan Chase & Co. foreign exchange trader is pressing a D.C. federal court to order the release of investigative material from the government's failed market manipulation criminal case against him, saying the U.S. Department of Justice's arguments against disclosure amount to "rank opportunism."

  • May 02, 2024

    Lawmaker Wants Antitrust Probe Of Health Insurance Data Co.

    Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is calling for antitrust enforcers to investigate concerns that MultiPlan and other healthcare data companies are hurting competition by helping health insurers effectively collude when making pricing decisions.

  • May 02, 2024

    Sugar Price-Fixing Suits Combined In NY

    A New York federal judge consolidated six proposed price-fixing class actions against domestic sugar producers, siding with plaintiffs who wanted to try the cases as part of a multidistrict litigation.

  • May 02, 2024

    House Seeks FTC Info On Scuttled Amazon-IRobot Deal

    The Republican-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is launching an investigation into the Federal Trade Commission's purported efforts to block Amazon's purchase of iRobot, according to a Wednesday letter from Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.

  • May 02, 2024

    FTC's Designer Fashion Deal Challenge Gets Sept. Hearing

    A New York federal court has scheduled a September hearing for the Federal Trade Commission's request to block luxury fashion holding company Tapestry Inc.'s planned $8.5 billion purchase of Capri Holdings Ltd., a deal that would bring together the Coach, Kate Spade and Michael Kors brands.

Expert Analysis

  • Managing ANDA Venue Issues As Del. And NJ Filings Rise

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    Delaware and New Jersey have prevailed as the primary forum for pharmaceutical litigation as more generic companies file abbreviated new drug applications, but this venue scheme presents traps for the unwary, and legislation may still be necessary to ensure fairness and predictability, say Timothy Cook and Kevin Yurkerwich at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Why Criminal No-Poach Cases Can Be Deceptively Complex

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    Mark Rosman at Wilson Sonsini discusses the reasons many criminal no-poach cases that appear simple are actually more complicated than they seem, following several jury trial acquittals and two dismissed cases.

  • Forecasting The Impact Of High Court Debit Card Rule Case

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    John Delionado and Aidan Gross at Hunton consider how the U.S. Supreme Court's forthcoming ruling in a retailer's suit challenging a Federal Reserve rule on debit card swipe fees could affect agency regulations both new and old, as well as the businesses that might seek to challenge them.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • What's At Stake In Bystolic 'Side Deals' Litigation

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    In re: Bystolic Antitrust Litigation, which has oral argument set for next month, will likely shed light on how the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit views side deals, and could create a circuit split in pleading standards for reverse payment cases, say attorneys at Axinn.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Cross-Market Implications In FTC's Anesthesia Complaint

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against a private equity firm's acquisition of anesthesiology practices highlights the controversial issue of cross-market harm in health care provider mergers, and could provide important insights into how a court may view such theories of harm, say Christopher Lau and Dina Older Aguilar at Cornerstone Research.

  • FTC Orange Book Move Signals New Pharma Patent Scrutiny

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent dispute against improper listing of drug patents in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orange Book indicates heightened surveillance of the pharmaceutical industry, particularly where competition-related consequences of patent or regulatory processes are concerned, say attorneys at Fenwick.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

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