Competition

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Merger Enforcers End Year On Upswing

The Biden administration's antitrust enforcers have boasted that one side effect of their aggressive approach to merger enforcement has been helping stop problematic deals from being cut in the first place, but the agencies also scored key court rulings blocking transactions in their final year that could have a more enduring effect.
January 07, 2025
DOJ Ropes Landlords Into RealPage Antitrust Case

The U.S. Department of Justice dramatically expanded its antitrust case against RealPage on Tuesday, accusing half a dozen residential landlords of using the software company's tools to coordinate rental rates while reaching a settlement with one of the property owners.
January 07, 2025
O'Melveny Beats DQ Bid In Hyundai Trademark Dispute

A California federal judge has denied a bid to disqualify O'Melveny & Myers LLP from representing Hyundai Motor Co. in a trademark dispute with computing company Hyundai Technology Group, saying the firm's failure to destroy a clawed-back document didn't justify booting it from the case.
January 07, 2025
Judge Looks To Finally Resolve Mass. 'Right To Repair' Suit

A long-stalled fight over Massachusetts' expanded "right to repair" law requiring open access to vehicle telematics software appears to be on a fast track after a new judge took over the case and said Tuesday she plans to rule in the near future.
January 07, 2025
FTC Imposes Record $5.6M 'Gun Jumping' Penalty On Oil Deal

The Federal Trade Commission brought a rare merger "gun jumping" action Tuesday under which Verdun Oil Co. will pay $5.6 million for exerting control over EP Energy LLC before the mandatory waiting period under U.S. antitrust law expired and its purchase of the company closed.
January 06, 2025
Trump Selects Long Island Judge For EDNY's Top Prosecutor

President-elect Donald Trump, who was born in Queens, has picked a Long Island state court judge to serve as the next U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, according to an announcement made Monday on Truth Social.
January 06, 2025
FTC Urges Individuals And Cos. To Exercise Caution With AI

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Friday encouraged individuals and companies to exercise caution when it comes to interacting with and deploying so-called artificial intelligence systems and tools, citing the potential for various "real-world instances of harm," including privacy and security risks.
January 06, 2025
Trucking Financial Co. Says Ex-Worker Broke Noncompete

The former face of customer service for a Charlotte, North Carolina, branch of a full-service provider for companies in the logistics and transportation industries has been hit with a suit by his former employer alleging he violated his noncompete agreement by joining a rival business and enticing "significant customers" to follow him.
January 06, 2025
Medical Debt Suit Against Credit Bureaus Tossed, For Now

A California federal judge tossed a proposed class action accusing Equifax, Experian and TransUnion of violating antitrust law by agreeing to exclude medical debt under $500 from consumer credit reports, but the judge gave the medical providers that filed the suit a chance to amend their complaint.
January 06, 2025
Clemson, FSU Agreed To 'Sue And Be Sued' In NC, ACC Says

The Atlantic Coast Conference urged North Carolina's top court to allow its lawsuits over grant of rights contracts against Clemson and Florida State universities to stand, saying they can't be dismissed because the colleges agreed to "sue and be sued" as part of doing business in the Tar Heel State.
January 06, 2025
Biotech Trade Secrets Case Gets New Punitive Damages Trial

A California federal judge has ordered a new punitive damages trial on how much a former Skye Orthobiologics LLC employee owes in a case where he was found to have breached his fiduciary duties by leveraging Skye's proprietary information, after ruling last year there wasn't enough evidence to support an earlier $25 million award.
January 06, 2025
Live Nation Can't Get Intermission In Calif. Antitrust Case

A California federal judge overseeing a private antitrust case against Live Nation denied the company's bid Monday to pause the case for a government enforcement action, saying that the suit was filed first and that exceptions to the "first to file" rule do not apply.
January 06, 2025
Another Building Contractor Agrees To End No-Hire Pacts

The Federal Trade Commission said Monday that Planned Building Services has agreed not to enforce terms in its contracts that prevent building owners from hiring the service contractor's workers, in a second recent case targeting the building services industry.
January 06, 2025
WDTX Urged To Spurn Microsoft's Bid To 'Slow' AI Chip Fight

Technology startup Xockets has slammed Microsoft's bid to separate itself from patent infringement claims against it and Nvidia concerning computer chips used for generative artificial intelligence, telling the Western District of Texas that the company is trying to "slow the case" and "inundate the court with threshold motion practice."
January 06, 2025
Google Looks To Toss Big Tech Litigant's Antitrust Claims

Google asked a Florida federal court on Monday to dismiss antitrust claims from web development company Greenflight over the search giant's reverse phone number lookup, saying the newly amended suit does not rectify the pleading problems already pointed out by the court.
January 06, 2025
German Burford Funding Fight Belongs In Del., Court Hears

A German entity is fighting litigation funder Burford's efforts to force it to arbitrate a dispute over an allegedly fraudulent arbitration pact contained in a funding agreement for antitrust litigation, telling a Delaware federal judge on Friday that the feud belongs before him.
January 06, 2025
5th Circ. Iffy On Humana, Blue Cross Allergy Meds Denials

A Fifth Circuit panel seemed poised Monday to side with an allergy services provider accusing insurance giants Blue Cross Blue Shield and Humana of colluding to deny claims and drive the company out of the market.
January 06, 2025
Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

The Federal Trade Commission successfully blocked Kroger's purchase of Albertsons while continuing to battle with Tempur Sealy and its planned buy of Mattress Firm, and Novo Nordisk managed to finalize its purchase of Catalent. Here, Law360 takes a look at some of the major merger review developments from December.
January 06, 2025
Frontier Tests DC Airport Slot Exemptions At DC Circ.

Frontier Airlines Inc. is contesting a decision from federal transportation regulators to exclude the budget carrier from a list of airlines allowed to operate new long-distance flights out of Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, D.C.
January 06, 2025
Ex-GMU Prof. Tells Judge To Ignore Accusers' 'False Reality'

Former FTC Commissioner and law professor Joshua Wright on Friday slammed two former students' request to exclude evidence of damages at an upcoming trial in a $108 million lawsuit in which he accused them of defamation, saying the request is "self-servingly twisted to present a false reality."
January 06, 2025
Robot Lawn Mower Cos. End Their Contract Fight In NC

A pair of robot lawn mower companies that have been fighting over the aftermath of their prior partnership have come together to tell North Carolina's business court that they are ready to drop their dispute following an earlier motion that stated they had agreed to a settlement.
January 06, 2025
FTC Blasts Tempur Sealy's New Floor-Space Promise

The Federal Trade Commission told a Texas federal court a revised commitment from Tempur Sealy to preserve floor space for rivals in Mattress Firm stores would not restore the competition lost by a merger of the companies because it cannot be enforced.
January 06, 2025
National Court Reporters Association Hit With Antitrust Suit

The National Court Reporters Association exploits its monopoly in the stenographic certification market to charge its members inflated and unnecessary membership dues and keep potential competitors out of the market, according to a new antitrust lawsuit in New Jersey federal court.
January 06, 2025
Cleary Adds Antitrust Attys From A&O Shearman, TikTok

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP announced Monday that it is adding to its global antitrust team by hiring a partner in New York and a counsel in Brussels who are experts in transactional and behavioral work.
January 06, 2025
Ohio State, NCAA, Big Ten Look To Sack Ex-QB's NIL Suit

Ohio State University, the NCAA, The Big Ten Conference Inc. and a media rights licensing company urged an Ohio federal judge to toss a proposed class action brought by former Buckeye star quarterback Terrelle Pryor alleging they engaged in an anticompetitive conspiracy to monopolize profits on athletes' names, images and likenesses.
January 06, 2025
Girard Sharp Launches Into New Year With New Leadership

San Francisco-based Girard Sharp has kicked off the new year with a major leadership change, announcing Monday that Daniel C. Girard had stepped down as managing partner of the prominent plaintiffs complex litigation boutique he founded in 1995 and that longtime partner Dena C. Sharp was taking the reins.

Editor's Picks

Google Ad Tech Trial: 15 Days On The Rocket Docket

The Justice Department wrapped an extraordinary antitrust trial last week that left a Virginia federal judge pondering whether Google is even dominant in the display advertising placement technology market or just another player.
FTC Withdraws From Feds' Merger Review Labor Pact

The Federal Trade Commission is withdrawing from an agreement signed in August with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board that's meant to increase collaboration when looking at labor issues in mergers.
US Antitrust Holds Fast: No 'Environmental Justice' Goals

A top Federal Trade Commission official in her latest address to antitrust lawyers offered little comfort to U.S. companies seeking to collaborate on environmental initiatives.

Expert Analysis

3 Factors Affecting Retail M&A Deals In 2025

Retailers considering mergers and acquisitions this year face an evolving antitrust environment, including a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump, revised merger guidelines and a precedent set last year by a canceled $8.5 billion handbag merger, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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.