Competition

March 14, 2025
Calif. Tribe Looks To Defend Casino Land Trust Decision

A California tribe at the crux of an Interior Department decision to take 221 acres of trust land for the construction of its casino development wants to intervene in a challenge to the order, saying it and the federal agency have different goals in dismissing the dispute.
March 14, 2025
FTC Urges 8th Circ. Not To Pause Insulin Pricing Case

The Federal Trade Commission has urged the Eighth Circuit not to pause its in-house case accusing Caremark Rx, Express Scripts and OptumRx of artificially inflating insulin prices, telling the appeals court the pharmacy benefit managers have no chance of winning on their constitutional claims.
March 14, 2025
FTC Probing $13B Marketing Mega-Deal

Marketing communications giants Omnicom and Interpublic disclosed an in-depth Federal Trade Commission probe into their $13 billion merger, pumping the brakes on their ability to close the deal soon, but they said the expectation is nevertheless to finish by the second half of this year.
March 14, 2025
Off The Bench: Ex-Jet Sues Over Favre Clip, New Soccer Build

In this week's Off The Bench, a retired football superstar claims an argument with icon Brett Favre should have never been aired on television, one trading card company gets the upper hand on another in dueling antitrust suits, and an English soccer club opts for a new stadium over a rebuild of the old one.
March 13, 2025
Ohio Health Insurer Wins $24M Verdict ln Racketeering Case

An Ohio jury has awarded Medical Mutual of Ohio more than $24 million in damages, after the insurer accused its rivals FrontPath Health Coalition and HealthScope Benefits of undercutting the bidding process for healthcare contracts with the city of Toledo.
March 13, 2025
Grubhub Can't Force Arbitration, But Uber Can At 2nd Circ.

A partially divided Second Circuit panel said Thursday that Grubhub cannot force into arbitration a proposed class action's price-fixing claims based on rules barring restaurants from selling food more cheaply through other channels, but left the arbitrability question for the same claims against Uber Eats up to the arbitrator.
March 13, 2025
Golden Globe Nominee Settles Conn. Feud With Talent Agent

Golden Globe nominee Cynthia Gibb and her Connecticut acting school have settled a lawsuit against a talent agent, the agent's acting instructor husband and a school they founded by allegedly interfering with a lease and swiping photos and student lists from Gibb's own academy.
March 13, 2025
Calif. AG Appealing State Limits On Pay-For-Delay Ban

California enforcers are appealing to the Ninth Circuit after a lower court found that a new state law restricting "reverse payment" settlements between brand-name and generic-drug makers cannot be used to regulate deals that were struck outside the state.
March 13, 2025
2nd Circ. Won't Revive Saks, Luxury Brands No-Poach Case

A Second Circuit panel refused Thursday to revive an antitrust suit from former Saks Fifth Avenue employees over the retailer's alleged agreements with Gucci, Louis Vuitton and other luxury fashion houses to not hire workers from its stores.
March 13, 2025
PBMs Tell FTC 5-Month Delay Too Long For In-House Insulin Trial

The nation's "Big Three" pharmacy benefit managers say they want to get to trial in the Federal Trade Commission's administrative suit against them sooner rather than later, arguing that the agency's request for a five-month delay would be too long, but they're open to a three-week postponement.
March 13, 2025
Who Is FCC Nominee Olivia Trusty? Here's What We Know

Republicans on the five-seat Federal Communications Commission need a critical third vote to push through many of the changes they envision for the nation's telecom policies, and the White House has chosen longtime Capitol Hill aide Olivia Trusty for the role.
March 13, 2025
RealPage Pushes Bid To Duck Antitrust Case In NC

RealPage and a group of landlords backed up a motion to shut down claims that the company's software helps fix rental prices brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and a group of states in North Carolina federal court.
March 13, 2025
Judge Orders Reinstatement Of Many Fired Federal Workers

A California federal judge on Thursday ordered the immediate reinstatement of certain probationary employees fired from six federal agencies, saying the Office of Personnel Management did not have the authority to direct those terminations, making the firings "unlawful."
March 13, 2025
UK Clears Keysight's £1.2B Offer For Telecoms Biz Spirent

Britain's antitrust authority said Thursday it has allowed U.S. technology company Keysight Technologies Inc. to proceed with its planned £1.16 billion ($1.5 billion) acquisition of Spirent Communications PLC, a U.K. telecoms testing specialist.
March 13, 2025
Failed Sewage CPO Ruling Still Gives Hope For Novel Cases

A recent tribunal decision dismissing mass action worth up to £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) against major water companies for underreporting pollution shows the limits of bringing competition law claims in highly-regulated sectors while offering hope that novel case theories can succeed.
March 12, 2025
Shepherd Blasts Ranchers' Bid To End Wage-Fixing Suit

A Peruvian sheepherder has asked a Nevada federal judge not to dismiss his proposed antitrust class action alleging that a ranching association and its members conspired to suppress migrant workers' wages, arguing that he has detailed information about when the member ranches agreed to follow the association's prohibitions on employee transfers or recruitment.
March 12, 2025
Law360 Cheat Sheet: Novartis' Fight Over Generic Entresto

Novartis has led a wide-ranging litigation campaign to block generic versions of its bestselling cardiovascular drug Entresto that has involved multidistrict litigation, trips to several circuit courts and cases against the federal government. Here, Law360 breaks down how the various cases intersect and what's still playing out.
March 12, 2025
'I Was Wrong': FTC Atty Flips On Cuts Delaying Amazon Trial

The Federal Trade Commission abruptly backtracked on an in-house attorney's comments about "severe" resource constraints amid the government spending crackdown while urging a Washington federal judge to delay a consumer protection trial against Amazon, with the same attorney telling the court he was wrong in a letter filed hours after a Wednesday status conference.
March 12, 2025
Insurance Pros Urge Calif. Lawmakers To Address Fire Risks

Insurance experts in a committee hearing that largely summed up concerns following the Los Angeles fires urged California lawmakers on Wednesday to address rising physical risks, smoke damage complaints, and regulations meant to expand coverage access.
March 12, 2025
Judge Says Hospital Orgs.' Input Not Needed In Multiplan MDL

The Illinois federal judge handling multidistrict litigation targeting Multiplan's out-of-network reimbursement rates has rejected two hospital organizations' bid to weigh in as he considers whether he should dismiss the case.
March 12, 2025
4th Circ. Won't Undo Health Data Access Order

A Fourth Circuit panel issued a ruling Wednesday that affirmed a lower court's order requiring PointClickCare to allow Real Time Medical Systems to access patient data that it uses to provide nursing facilities with alerts for potential medical complications.
March 12, 2025
Pallet Biz Says District Court Can't Weigh Bankruptcy Order

Pallet company PaLIoT Solutions Inc. told a Michigan federal judge on Wednesday that the issue of whether it violated a bankruptcy court's order regarding trade secrets purchased in a rival company's asset sale has already been decided, while the competitor said its rival is flip-flopping on its arguments.
March 12, 2025
Son Of Ex-FIFA VP Avoids Prison In Fraud Case

The son of former FIFA vice president Jack Warner was spared prison time Tuesday, almost 12 years after he pled guilty to falsifying a mortgage application for a Miami condominium and structuring transactions to evade currency reporting requirements.
March 12, 2025
Live Nation Calls DOJ 'Delay Tactics' Claim 'Groundless'

Live Nation Entertainment assailed the U.S. Department of Justice for claiming "out of the blue" that the company is slow-walking its discovery obligations in the government's New York federal court monopolization suit centered on the 2010 purchase of Ticketmaster.
March 12, 2025
Final Google Fixes Keep Apple Payments, DOJ Tells DC Circ.

The U.S. Department of Justice doubled down on its arguments against permitting Apple to intervene in the upcoming remedies phase of its Google search monopoly lawsuit, arguing that the newly submitted final version of its sought fixes show Apple would keep getting payments it wants protected.

Expert Analysis

FTC Picks Augur Pro-Business Bent For Much Of Economy

President-elect Donald Trump's choice of two top Federal Trade Commission officials suggests a business-friendly climate for a significant portion of the U.S. economy, with noteworthy exceptions of continued scrutiny of healthcare and Big Tech companies, excluding artificial intelligence, say attorneys at BCLP.
Top 10 Legal Issues This Year For Transportation Industry GCs

General counsel must carefully consider numerous legal and policy challenges facing the automotive and transportation industry in the year to come, especially while navigating new technologies, regulations and global markets, says Francesco Liberatore at Squire Patton.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
What 2024's Noncompete Turmoil Means For Banks In 2025

A look back at the most significant legal challenges to the enforceability of various restrictive covenants like noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements in 2024 can help financial institutions address the use of these critical tools this year, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.
Searching For Insight On Requested Google Chrome Remedy

The potential for Google to divest its Chrome browser — a remedy requested by the Justice Department following a D.C. federal court’s finding the company is a monopolist — has drawn both criticism and endorsement, but legal precedent likely supports the former, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
Opinion

3 New Year's Resolutions For Antitrust Agencies To Consider

James Fredricks at Skadden rings in 2025 with his wish list for the federal antitrust agencies, starting with a provision for a presumptive safe harbor for information sharing.
FTC Focus: A Changing Of The Guard

While rigorous antitrust enforcement is unlikely to slow down at the Federal Trade Commission, the focus will undoubtedly change, including when it comes to Big Tech, as Andrew Ferguson prepares to take the reins from Chair Lina Khan, say attorneys at Proskauer.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
5 Antitrust Issues For In-House Counsel In 2025

Attorneys at Squire Patton evaluate the top areas where U.S. antitrust policy is likely to change in the next 12 months, including major challenges to the Federal Trade Commission's authority that could reshape enforcement.
Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
2024 Has Been A Momentous Year For ESG

Significant developments in the environmental, social and governance landscape this year include new legislation, evolving global frameworks, continued litigation and enforcement actions, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has already affected how lower courts have viewed some ESG challenges, say attorneys at Katten.
Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.
The Story Of 2024's Biggest Bank Regs, And Their Fate In 2025

U.S. federal bank regulators were very active in 2024 with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation, but many regulations face an uncertain future under the new administration, say attorneys at Latham.