Competition

  • April 10, 2024

    Insurer Slams 'Price-Gouging' Doctor's COVID Billing Suit

    Health plan administrator United Medical Resources Inc. fired back at a doctor's $783,000 suit claiming that he and his practice firms were shortchanged for COVID-19 testing services, with multiple counterclaims alleging that the doctor billed for unnecessary extra testing and put in claims for services that were never rendered.

  • April 10, 2024

    Merger Notification Overhaul 'Pretty Close,' DOJ Official Says

    A senior U.S. Department of Justice antitrust official predicted Wednesday that the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission are likely just weeks away from issuing the final version of a major overhaul to the filing requirements of companies notifying mergers to the agencies.

  • April 10, 2024

    NYSE Seeks To Provide SPACs More Time To Close Mergers

    A New York Stock Exchange proposal would provide special-purpose acquisition companies with six more months to complete mergers while remaining listed — assuming relevant parties have signed a definitive agreement before a three-year deadline — potentially providing market participants more flexibility to close deals.

  • April 10, 2024

    Past Violations To Get Close Eye With New Merger Filing Rules

    Changes proposed to Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice merger reporting requirements would impose significant document submission obligations on merging parties, such as past violations of antitrust and labor law, practitioners and an agency deputy said Wednesday.

  • April 10, 2024

    Freshfields Guides EBay On Multipronged Trading Card Deal

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is guiding eBay Inc. on new agreements with collectibles grading company Collectors that include eBay acquiring Collectors' Goldin auction house, in what the companies said Wednesday is an effort to streamline the trading card hobby in the U.S.

  • April 09, 2024

    After Uproar, New MDL Rule Advances With Attys Assuaged

    Following years of debate and months of outcry, a judicial panel Tuesday approved the first formal rule aimed at improving efficiency and fairness in the nation's burgeoning realm of multidistrict litigation, earning plaudits from placated lawyers in the defense and plaintiffs bars.

  • April 09, 2024

    Why IP Attys Are Watching This $2B Trade Secrets Battle

    A case of alleged corporate espionage involving two software companies that resulted in a $2 billion verdict has all the hallmarks of a legal thriller, and attorneys are watching the appeal closely to see how it could impact trade secrets litigation.

  • April 09, 2024

    Nikola Investors' SPAC Fraud Suit Moves Ahead

    Board directors of electric truck maker Nikola Corp. and the blank-check company that took it public for $3.3 billion in 2020 must face shareholders' derivative claims of insider trading, securities fraud and merger-related breaches after Delaware's Court of Chancery on Tuesday denied more than half of the defense's motions to dismiss.

  • April 09, 2024

    StarKist, PE Co. Settle Tuna Price-Fixing Claims For $3.9M

    Canned tuna buyers are hoping to settle their long-running price-fixing suit with StarKist and Bumble Bee, asking a California federal judge for preliminary approval of two class action payouts worth a total of $3.87 million.

  • April 09, 2024

    Real Brokerage $9.2M Settlement Is Latest In Agent Fee Suit

    The Real Brokerage Inc. will pay $9.2 million in a settlement to exit a class action in Missouri federal court over broker fees that prompted other big brokerages to change how they charge agent fees.

  • April 09, 2024

    How Imminent Is 'Imminent,' Judge Asks In Supply Chain Fight

    A Colorado federal judge asked an auto parts supplier Tuesday how quickly a Michigan company's alleged violation of an exclusivity deal would have tangible effects, as he considered temporarily stopping the Michigan firm from using other suppliers.

  • April 09, 2024

    FTC Pressures Global Partners, Gulf Oil Into Reducing Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission took credit Tuesday for raising antitrust concerns spurring the late-February reduction of Global Partners LP's purchase of Northeast U.S. gas terminals from Gulf Oil, cut from five terminals with a $273 million price tag to four terminals and a $212.3 million payment.

  • April 09, 2024

    FIFA Settles Claims Over Foreign League Match Ban

    FIFA will consider changing its rule prohibiting soccer matches outside a league's home territories, after settling antitrust claims brought against it by a sports promotion company that challenged the policy in court, a document filed in Manhattan federal court recently showed.

  • April 09, 2024

    Fragrance Giants Want Out Of 'Threadbare' Price-Fixing Suit

    Four international fragrance giants urged a New Jersey federal court to toss a proposed class action accusing them of conspiring to reduce competition in the multibillion-dollar fragrance market, saying plaintiffs are struggling to point to any price-fixing agreement.

  • April 09, 2024

    Printer Buyers Defend HP Ink Cartridge Antitrust Claims

    HP printer buyers told an Illinois federal court they've done enough to show that HP monopolized the market for replacement ink cartridges by alleging the company used firmware updates to lock them into purchasing HP ink cartridges.

  • April 09, 2024

    Apple To Appeal Funding OK For IPhone Users' £853M Claim

    Apple has won permission to appeal a decision to let an £853 million ($1 billion) class action claim go ahead for allegations the tech giant concealed problems with iPhone batteries, despite challenges to the funding arrangements.

  • April 08, 2024

    Gamers Can't Block Microsoft From 'Dismantling' Activison

    A California federal judge on Monday refused to block Microsoft from further integrating Activision Blizzard into its business after it acquired the gaming titan last year, saying the gamers who are still challenging the union between the companies have a similar motion pending before the Ninth Circuit.

  • April 08, 2024

    ACC Can Keep ESPN Deal Under Wraps In FSU Suit

    A North Carolina Business Court judge has allowed the Atlantic Coast Conference to file some contract terms under seal in its fight over whether Florida State University can leave the conference without facing a hefty fine, reasoning that such terms have been considered sealable trade secrets by state courts.

  • April 08, 2024

    FTC's Slaughter Defends International Cooperation

    Several federal agency leaders said Monday they are working across the government to help boost competition, as Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter touted the importance of cooperation on competition issues at home and abroad.

  • April 08, 2024

    La. Drug Caps Conflict With Federal Law, AbbVie Says

    Drugmaker AbbVie is asking a Louisiana federal judge to grant its summary judgment motion and block new state-level pharmaceutical caps for the federal 340B drug discount program, calling the state's competing summary judgment motion arguments "legally and factually wrong."

  • April 08, 2024

    Consumers Fight Amazon's E-Book Appeal Ask

    Amazon shouldn't get to go to the Second Circuit after a federal judge refused to toss a proposed class action accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing the e-book market, according to consumers who have urged that judge not to seek another opinion on whether they lack standing.

  • April 08, 2024

    Judge Urged To Reject UnitedHealth's Antitrust Deal Qualms

    Patients who cut a $55 million antitrust settlement with NorthShore University HealthSystem are urging an Illinois federal court to reject objections by United Healthcare Services, arguing that the insurer has no standing to derail the deal and that its challenge to the agreement could dilute their recovery.

  • April 08, 2024

    PE Firm Calls FTC's Antitrust Claims 'Many Yesterdays' Old

    A Texas anesthesiology company and the private equity firm that created it told a Houston federal judge Monday that the Federal Trade Commission has gone back "many yesterdays ago" in making its antitrust case, arguing that there's no imminent threat of a monopoly in an attempt to get the case dismissed.

  • April 08, 2024

    Farmers Want USDA Barred From 'Discriminatory' Aid Choices

    A group of Texas farmers asked a federal judge to bar the U.S. Department of Agriculture from prioritizing minority groups as a part of a distribution scheme for the agency's disaster assistance and pandemic relief programs, saying the programs continue to cause harm to them and the public.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hormel Settling Pork Price-Fixing Claims For Over $11M

    Three plaintiff classes in the ongoing pork price-fixing litigation against Hormel Foods have reached preliminary settlements worth over $11 million with the company and are now asking the Minnesota federal judge overseeing the case to grant them initial approval.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Competition Considerations From Biden's AI Executive Order

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    In light of President Joe Biden's recent executive order on artificial intelligence and the antitrust agencies' expansive enforcement posture, businesses in the technology and related industries should expect scrutiny, and avoid interactions that could be perceived as unlawful collaborations or exchange of competitively sensitive information, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • First-Of-Its-Kind Artist AI Ruling Offers Liability Guidance

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    A California judge recently became the first federal judge in Andersen v. Stability AI to rule at the pleading stage on a challenge to claims that training artificial intelligence models involves mass-scale copyright infringement, providing insight into the potential legal exposure of AI-enabled products, say attorneys at Fenwick.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • How 'Safe Harbor' Policy Will Modify M&A Processes

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    Legal practitioners should be aware that the Justice Department's "safe harbor" immunity will change the typical M&A process significantly as acquirers start embedding fraud detection into their due diligence, including a broader scope of examinations and interviews, says Jesse Silvertown at The Ledge.

  • Earnout Contract Considerations After NC Good Faith Ruling

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    The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent Value Health Solutions v. Pharmaceutical Research decision, holding the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing did not apply in an earnout dispute related to an asset sale, demonstrates the need for practitioners to pay careful attention to milestone concepts in M&A transactions, says Benjamin Hicks at Wagner Hicks.

  • Reading Between The Lines Of HHS' National Lab Opinion

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recently rejected a national laboratory's request to pay a referring lab to process specimens, but the request might have been an attempt to exploit the OIG's advisory opinion process for a competitive advantage, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.

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