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Competition
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May 15, 2024
Arizona AG Lobs Suits Over 'Deceptive' Amazon Practices
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Wednesday filed a pair of suits claiming that Amazon Prime's cancellation process and other features are deceptive, misleading and have led to higher prices for consumers.
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May 15, 2024
Noncompete Rule Challenge Gets More Backing
A slew of business groups have thrown their support behind a challenge of the Federal Trade Commission's sweeping ban on noncompete clauses for employees, saying the rule relies on "cherrypicked" data to back a policy preferred by the FTC's majority.
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May 15, 2024
Feds, Pesticide Cos. Seek More Time To Find Mediator
The Federal Trade Commission and agricultural chemical companies Syngenta and Corteva are seeking extra time to select a mediator as they litigate claims that the manufacturers leverage loyalty programs to suppress competition from cheaper generic pesticides.
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May 15, 2024
FTC Chair Khan Defends Request For 25% Budget Increase
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan defended a 25% budget increase request during a House appropriations hearing Wednesday, calling it "healthy" that aggressive Biden administration merger enforcement has made antitrust considerations top of mind for companies mulling transactions.
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May 15, 2024
Metropolis, SP Plus Get Rare Early End To $1.5B Deal Probe
The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to a rare early termination of its review of payments tech company Metropolis Technologies Inc.'s planned $1.5 billion deal for parking and logistics provider SP Plus Corp., after previously requesting additional information about the transaction.
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May 15, 2024
DLA Piper Int'l Trade Attys Jump To K&L Gates In DC
K&L Gates LLP is continuing to add international trade talent to its ranks, saying Wednesday that it had added two DLA Piper lawyers to its Washington, D.C., office.
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May 15, 2024
Former Sandoz Executive Avoids Prison In Price-Fixing Case
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday approved a request from prosecutors and ex-Sandoz Pharmaceuticals executive Hector Armando Kellum for a one-year probation sentence in the generic drug price-fixing case against him, citing his cooperation with the government's investigation into a larger conspiracy.
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May 15, 2024
Klobuchar Wants FTC To Make Firms Report Real Estate Buys
It's time for the Federal Trade Commission to require the companies and private equity firms gobbling up residential real estate to report those acquisitions to the agency for antitrust purposes the same way they have to report other big purchases, Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.
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May 15, 2024
Kirkland Guiding Billionaire McCourt On Bid To Buy TikTok
Billionaire Frank McCourt, advised by Kirkland & Ellis, says he's building a consortium to purchase TikTok and redesign the platform to eliminate the collection of users' information, putting "people in control of their [own] digital identities and data."
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May 14, 2024
Rumble Hits Google With Antitrust Suit Over Ad Practices
Canadian video sharing service Rumble on Monday launched its second antitrust lawsuit against Google, lleging in California federal court that the tech behemoth has built on its search engine monopoly to grab monopoly power across digital advertising markets, echoing claims in pending multidistrict litigation.
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May 14, 2024
DOJ Search Case Unveils Google-Apple Pact, Consumers Say
Private plaintiffs are asking for another crack at their antitrust suit accusing Google of entering illegal agreements to serve as the iPhone's default search engine, saying newly discovered contracts unearthed from the U.S. Department of Justice's ongoing case against the tech giant support a reconsideration.
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May 14, 2024
RealPage, Landlords Look To Trim Ariz. Price-Fixing Case
Rental algorithm company RealPage and several landlords have urged an Arizona state court to trim fraud claims from the attorney general's case accusing them of using software to illegally raise rents for hundreds of thousands of renters, and they also asked to limit the time frame for enforcers' antitrust claims.
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May 14, 2024
Boeing Can't Beat Rival's Trade Secrets Claim, 11th Circ. Hints
Counsel for Boeing attempted to convince the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday that a rival aircraft company's bid to claim unjust enrichment amid a long-running U.S. Air Force contract fight should be barred by contract language that waived claims for damages stemming from Boeing's allegedly underhanded bidding tactics.
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May 14, 2024
FTC Cleared To Sue Texas Anesthesia Co., But Not PE Firm
A Texas federal judge highlighted the limits of the Federal Trade Commission's ability to go after private equity firms accused of anti-competitive "roll-up" strategies, tossing antitrust claims against a private equity firm while preserving monopolization allegations against the anesthesia group the firm created.
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May 14, 2024
Boeing Jury To Sift Through Failed Electric Jet Partnership
Washington-based Zunum Aero Inc. was soaring in 2017 when The Boeing Co. invested millions to propel development of a hybrid-electric or all-electric jet that the startup boasted could make air travel greener, faster and cheaper.
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May 14, 2024
Aerospace Co. Hit With $450M Engine Parts Antitrust Suit
RTX Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney got hit with a $450 million antitrust lawsuit by a parts supplier who says the company and its Canadian arm are using illegal agreements to monopolize the aftermarket supply of their PT6 and PW100 turboprop engine components.
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May 14, 2024
Judge Trims More From Prison Phone Co.'s Antitrust Suit
Prison telephone service provider Global Tel Link and a Pennsylvania county now have one fewer claim to face in a lawsuit accusing them of sinking a rival company's chance at winning a contract with the county, after a federal court trimmed away yet another claim.
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May 14, 2024
Amazon Rips 'Misleading' Claims Execs Destroyed Evidence
Amazon on Monday opposed the Federal Trade Commission's and state attorneys generals' allegations that founder Jeff Bezos and other executives used the encrypted app Signal to destroy evidence in their high-stakes Washington federal court antitrust fight, arguing that the executives' use of the app is legitimate and that the plaintiffs' motion is "misleading."
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May 14, 2024
Cheerleader Parents Seek 1st OK On $82.5M Varsity Deal
Parents of cheer athletes say they have settled antitrust claims against cheerleading giant Varsity Brands and other major industry players for $82.5 million, and have asked a Tennessee federal judge to give the deal preliminary approval.
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May 14, 2024
Shire Settles Claims Over Alleged ADHD Generic Delay
Purchasers of the medication Intuniv have settled a years-old class action against drugmaker Shire PLC and manufacturer Actavis over allegations that the companies struck an anti-competitive deal to delay the production of a generic version of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug.
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May 14, 2024
Pool Co. Pleads For Reprieve From Asset Freeze To Pay Attys
A Chinese manufacturer of swimming pool products and its American subsidiary are seeking a temporary respite from a court-ordered asset freeze intended to ensure they pay a multimillion-dollar verdict, saying they need to pay legal fees and other trial costs in the interim.
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May 14, 2024
UK Considers Fixes To Utility's £89M Water Biz Deal
Britain's antitrust authority said on Tuesday that it could accept solutions set out by the Pennon Group to alleviate competition concerns about the utility company's proposed purchase of a rival operator for approximately £89 million ($112 million).
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May 13, 2024
Chamber Asks Texas Judge To Stop FTC Noncompete Ban
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked a Texas federal judge to issue a court order stopping the Federal Trade Commission's new noncompete rule from going into effect while litigation challenging the ban plays out, arguing the rule's enforcement would irreparably harm businesses and their employees.
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May 13, 2024
FTC Can't Modify $5B Meta Privacy Deal, DC Circ. Told
Meta Platforms Inc. told the D.C. Circuit on Monday that the Federal Trade Commission lacks the ability to unilaterally modify a $5 billion privacy settlement, contending that the courts are the ones responsible for enforcing the agreement.
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May 13, 2024
Handbag Cos. Denied More Market Info In FTC Merger Suit
A New York federal judge refused Monday to force the Federal Trade Commission to give Tapestry and Capri more details on the market allegedly threatened by their planned $8.5 billion merger, finding the parent companies of Coach and Michael Kors have the information they need.
Expert Analysis
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Hoopers In NCAA Suit Respark Eligibility Framework Debate
A decision by two brothers involved in a recent antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA — to play college basketball rather than go professional after graduating from the Overtime Elite league — has aimed the spotlight on what exactly the NCAA deems permissible compensation under its current framework, say Brady Foster and Dan Lust at Moritt Hock.
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Lessons From DOJ's Wave Of Labor Market Prosecutions
Attorneys at Patterson Belknap consider lessons learned and future meaningful challenges following the U.S. Department of Justice's first six criminal antitrust cases targeting employee no-poach and wage-fixing agreements, in which just one case resulted in a guilty plea.
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Opinion
Giving The Gov't Drug Patent March-In Authority Is Bad Policy
The Biden administration's recent proposal to allow government seizure of certain taxpayer-funded drug patents is a terrible idea that would negate the benefits of government-funded research, to the detriment of patients and the wider economy, says Wayne Winegarden at Pacific Research Institute.
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How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
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When Patients Have Standing For Hospital Antitrust Suits
Brown v. Hartford Healthcare Corp., recently decided by a Connecticut state court, provides a useful examination of how antitrust standing issues may be analyzed when patients directly sue a healthcare system for anti-competitive conduct, says Charles Honart at Stevens & Lee.
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8 Ways To Negotiate Improved Disgorgement Outcomes
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's nearly $3.4 billion collected in disgorgements in 2023 shows that substantial disgorgement claims from regulators and law enforcement are the new norm, but corporations may be able to dramatically reduce what they owe by using eight strategies to argue for reduced net profit calculations, say experts at AlixPartners.
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Lessons From This Year's Landmark Green Energy IP Clash
In this year's Siemens v. General Electric wind turbine patent dispute, a Massachusetts federal court offers a cautionary tale against willful infringement, and highlights the balance between innovation, law and ethics, as legal battles like this become more frequent in the renewable energy sector, say John Powell and Andrew Siuta at Sunstein.
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DOJ's RealPage Notice Signals Focus On Pricing Algorithms
The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division recently filed a statement of interest in the Realpage multidistrict litigation to stake out its position that price-fixing algorithms pose a great anti-competitive threat, which suggests that the DOJ and private parties may continue to bring similar actions in the future, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape
The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
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Series
Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
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Reverse Proffers In Federal Criminal Cases Can Be A Win-Win
The increasingly popular reverse proffer — in which prosecutors disclose evidence to targets of a criminal investigation — can help the government test its case and persuade witnesses to cooperate, and can help defendants sharpen their strategies and obtain favorable deals by choosing to cooperate, say Jeffrey Martino and Byron Tuyay at Baker McKenzie.
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EU Rejection Of Booking.com Deal Veers From Past Practice
The European Commission's recent prohibition of Booking's purchase of Etraveli based on ecosystem theories of harm reveals a lower bar for prohibiting nonhorizontal mergers, and may mean increased merger scrutiny for companies with entrenched market positions in digital markets, say lawyers at Linklaters.
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Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct
The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
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7 Critical Copyright And AI Questions Courts Need To Address
U.S. courts have yet to rule on many copyright issues regarding generative artificial intelligence technologies, so developers and users should consider several questions when evaluating risks, developing risk mitigation plans and making decisions about particular use cases, say John Delaney and Sean West at Perkins Coie.
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Mitigating Antitrust Risk Amid Increased Dealmaking Scrutiny
While deals continue to get done despite 60% of significant merger investigations in the U.S. last year concluding with a complaint or abandoned transaction, private equity firms should identify and assess potential antitrust risks and develop strategies to mitigate them early in the deal process, say attorneys at Dechert.