DOJ Ad Tech Judge Won't Break Up Google's Biz

By Bryan Koenig

A Virginia federal judge on Wednesday refused to break up Google's advertising placement technology business, opting instead to grant the U.S. Department of Justice a litany of behavioral fixes aimed at limiting the search giant's ability to boost itself and the ads running through its own servers over ads from rival ad tech providers.

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Mylan's Conflict Concerns Halt Antitrust Bellwether Trial Plans

By P.J. D'Annunzio

A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday stayed proceedings and continued the trial date in the sprawling generic drug antitrust case after defendant Mylan alleged that the special discovery master, Saxton & Stump shareholder and former federal judge Lawrence Stengel, has a conflict of interest.

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Hess, Pioneer, Others Can't Duck Shale Oil Price-Fix Claims

By Bryan Koenig

A New Mexico federal judge preserved the core of a consolidated proposed class action from consumers, businesses and local governments accusing Hess, Pioneer, Continental and other fossil fuel giants of conspiring to slow down shale oil production to drive up prices, tossing only a handful of state law claims.  

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Clippers Fined $30M As Probe Uncovers Salary Cap Violations

By Alex Lawson

The NBA unveiled sweeping sanctions against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday, including a $30 million fine and a one-year ban for the team's owner, after an investigation uncovered evidence that the team violated the league's salary cap rules by arranging off-court business deals for its star forward, Kawhi Leonard.

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Analysis

FCC Staff Are Making Big Decisions, But The Tactic Isn't New

By Christopher Cole

When an arm of the Federal Communications Commission that deals with broadcast competition waived one of the country's signature media ownership rules without a full FCC vote this year, it wasn't the first time agency staff had been entrusted with a major decision by the FCC's politically appointed chair.

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£400M Rail Fare Class Action Collapses After Deadline Lapse

By Joanne Faulkner

A £400 million ($540 million) collective action against rail operator Govia Thameslink has collapsed after the claimants' lawyers missed a deadline to replace a class representative who died following certification.

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CMA Probes E.ON's Acquisition Of Ovo Energy

By Irene Madongo

The Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday it is investigating whether European power giant E.ON's anticipated acquisition of British retail energy supplier Ovo could harm competition in U.K. markets.

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Optics Co.'s £346M Sale Not Stopped By Antitrust Authorities

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Optics technology provider Gooch & Housego, advised by Burges Salmon LLP, said Wednesday that it cleared a regulatory hurdle in its proposed acquisition by Kirkland & Ellis LLP-led private equity shop Arlington Capital, as the antitrust waiting period for the £346 million ($470 million) deal has expired.

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YouTube Ducks Music Co.'s Song Monetization Monopoly Suit

By Rae Ann Varona

A New York federal judge has tossed a content-creation music label's lawsuit accusing YouTube LLC of cornering an automated monetization services market for sound recordings, saying the label filed suit too late and otherwise failed to state a legally sufficient monopolization claim.

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NJ AG Seeks Expedited Discovery In Amazon Antitrust Suit

By Katherine Smith

New Jersey's attorney general has asked a federal court for leave to file a motion for expedited discovery in a federal antitrust suit claiming that Amazon has unlawfully maintained its dominant buying power in the delivery driver services market, claiming there is an "immediate need" for discovery in the case.

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Kroger, Costco, Major Grocers Added To DOJ Beef Price Probe

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Justice expanded its investigation into potential anticompetitive conduct in the American beef industry to include The Kroger Co., Walmart, Costco Wholesale Corp. and five other major grocers.

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Robert Half Says Beacon Hill 'Raided' Conn. Staffing Team

By Aaron Keller

Robert Half Inc. has sued staffing services competitor Beacon Hill Solutions Group LLC in Connecticut federal court, alleging that Beacon Hill continued a nationwide employee poaching pattern by "raiding" its New Haven and Hartford operations and inducing the exits of a recruiting manager, practice director, talent director and talent manager.

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Tyson's Price-Fixing Deal Merits $27.5M Atty Fees, Buyers Say

By Dorothy Atkins

Beef direct purchasers asked a Minnesota federal judge Tuesday to award class counsel $27.5 million in fees, or one-third of Tyson's $82.5 million price-fixing settlement, arguing that the deal was reached after six years of hard-fought antitrust litigation and adds to another settlement, bringing the total recovery to $135 million.

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CMS Hires Competition Pro From Clifford Chance In London

By Ashish Sareen

CMS has hired a new partner from Clifford Chance LLP in London amid growing demand for competition and regulatory advice in the technology sector.

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Thomson Reuters Cyberattack Hits North American Courts

By Bonnie Eslinger

A recent cyberattack on Thomson Reuters' court management software affected files associated with court systems in 11 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada, and may have exposed sealed documents and individuals' personal information, according to a Wednesday announcement from the technology and information services company.

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Calif. Bill Regulating Atty AI Use Heads To Newsom's Desk

By Emily Sawicki

A bill regulating attorneys' and arbitrators' use of generative artificial intelligence has unanimously passed the California State Legislature and is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

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'Astonished' Homebuyer Says Atty Email Lapse Caused Hack

By Pete Brush

A New York City law firm has been ordered to provide internet security and login information to a homebuyer who claims she was left in "shock" when an impostor with access to her lawyer's email tricked her into wiring away over $730,000.

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House Rejects Amendment To Fix Court At 9 Justices

By Courtney Bublé

The House failed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday that would keep the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices at nine.

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Dems Call Subpoenas' Secrecy Request 'Abuse Of Authority'

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

Democratic lawmakers Sen. Ron Wyden, Ore., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Wash., have called for an investigation into subpoenas issued from federal law enforcement to private companies that contain nondisclosure provisions and carry threats of legal consequences for noncompliance.

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JPMorgan Seeks Stay Of $20M Javice, Amar Fee Order

By Jarek Rutz

JPMorgan Chase & Co. urged the Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday to pause enforcement of an order requiring it to advance more than $20 million in disputed legal fees to convicted Frank founder Charlie Javice and former executive Olivier Amar, arguing the bank could permanently lose the money before it gets a chance to challenge the ruling.

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ABA Outlines Attys' Duties To Clients With Intellectual Limits

By Jack Karp

Attorneys have the same obligations to clients with decision-making limitations, should abide by those clients' decisions regarding their representation and must work to maintain an ordinary client-lawyer relationship as much as possible, the American Bar Association said in an opinion released Wednesday.

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