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 10, 2025
Sports Betting Company Challenges CMA Order To Sell Biz

Sports betting company Spreadex has appealed against an order by the Competition and Markets Authority that it must sell a business it acquired in 2023 over concerns that a combined entity would harm the market for licensed online sports spread-betting.
January 10, 2025
DOJ Sues To Block Amex GBT's $570M Deal For Rival CWT

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to block American Express Global Business Travel Inc.'s planned $570 million acquisition of corporate travel management rival CWT Holdings LLC.
January 09, 2025
'Stunned': Judge Rips Atty For Violating Antitrust Trial Order

A California federal judge overseeing an antitrust jury trial over claims that Intuitive Surgical was a monopolist that abused its power by blocking hospitals from using a service to extend the life of a component related to its surgical-robot arms said Thursday she was "stunned" when plaintiff Surgical Instrument Service showed a video that violated a pretrial order.
January 09, 2025
Vape Laptop Hacking Suit Belongs In Court, Co. Says

A vape-maker has urged a California federal court to deny a bid by the founder of vape distributor Next Level to arbitrate the manufacturer's claims that he broke into a laptop to access its confidential information, saying he's not a signatory to an underlying arbitration agreement.
January 09, 2025
Amgen Says Enbrel Protected By Legit Patents, Rulings

Amgen has asked a Virginia federal judge to permanently toss the latest version of a proposed class action accusing it of illegally entrenching and expanding patent rights to stave off cheaper competition for Enbrel, arguing the blockbuster arthritis treatment is protected by legitimate patents and court rulings of validity.
January 09, 2025
Cancer Org Fails To Get Rival's TM Counterclaims Tossed

A Georgia federal judge said Thursday that the Glioblastoma Foundation Inc. can't yet escape a series of counterclaims filed against it by a rival nonprofit amid a trademark spat, ruling that its defenses in a dismissal bid largely relied on factual issues about whether the rival fraudulently obtained the marks at issue.
January 09, 2025
Kroger Drops FTC Constitutionality Fight After Nixed Merger

Kroger on Thursday voluntarily dismissed its case challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Trade Commission's in-house court, after the agency dropped its administrative case targeting the grocery chain's abandoned deal for Albertsons.
January 09, 2025
NCAA Insists Player Seeking One More Season Is Out Of Time

A former junior-college basketball player seeking to play one more season is not entitled to do so because he has played the maximum number of seasons allowed, the NCAA told a Mississippi federal court in defense of the eligibility policy the player seeks to upend.
January 09, 2025
DOJ Wants Time At 9th Circ. In Zillow, NAR Antitrust Case

The U.S. Department of Justice has asked the Ninth Circuit for permission to appear at oral arguments in an appeal looking to revive antitrust claims from a defunct brokerage platform against Zillow and the National Association of Realtors.
January 09, 2025
Grocers Say Nothing Left To Fight In Colo. Merger Challenge

Kroger and Albertsons told a Denver District Court that the state's challenge to its merger should be dismissed now that the deal is dead, arguing in a motion that the state always knew that decisions in other lawsuits could render its claim moot.
January 09, 2025
Asphalt Exec Latest To Plead Guilty In Bid-Rigging Scheme

A metro Detroit asphalt executive pled guilty Wednesday for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for paving jobs in Michigan, the latest plea in the government's sprawling investigation into multiple companies and their leaders for a scheme that resulted in millions of dollars' worth of rigged contracts.
January 09, 2025
DirecTV, Dish Say Sports Streamer Harmful Despite Fubo Deal

DirecTV and Dish are hoping to pump the brakes on any immediate plans to unwind a New York federal court's injunction stopping the ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery joint sports venture from hitting the market after Disney announced its majority acquisition of the deal's biggest challenger, Fubo, this week.
January 09, 2025
US Steel And Nippon's Lawsuit Seen As 'Hail Mary' Attempt

President Joe Biden may not have put forth an airtight national security argument for blocking Nippon Steel's planned acquisition of U.S. Steel, but the companies' subsequent lawsuit is still highly unlikely to earn them another chance at making the deal happen, according to legal experts.
January 09, 2025
High Court Ruling Looms Over FERC Gas Enforcement Deal

A TotalEnergies unit will pay $5 million to end a decadelong Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gas market manipulation probe, an enforcement case that was weakened by the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling that limits the authority of in-house agency judges.
January 09, 2025
DOJ Fights Apple's Intervention In Google Search Remedies

The U.S. Department of Justice is opposing Apple Inc.'s "eleventh-hour effort" to have a say in what should be a proper fix for Google's search monopoly, telling a D.C. federal judge that the company has had ample opportunity to defend its lucrative revenue-sharing agreement with Google.
January 09, 2025
Beer Sales Rep Can't Show Lasting Harm From Noncompete

A former Boston Beer Co. sales employee challenging a one-year noncompete agreement has failed to show how she will suffer irreparable harm without a preliminary injunction, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying any damages are "readily calculable" if she ultimately wins the case.
January 09, 2025
UK Scrutinizes Bidvest's Plan To Buy Hygiene Products Biz

The Competition and Markets Authority said on Thursday that it is launching a formal investigation into a proposal by South African conglomerate Bidvest to acquire a washroom products business, as it seeks to determine whether the merger could harm competition in domestic markets.
January 08, 2025
2nd Circ. Weighs FIFA Verdicts In Light Of High Court Rulings

Brooklyn federal prosecutors on Wednesday urged the Second Circuit to reverse a lower court's controversial decision to overturn the bribery convictions of a former 21st Century Fox television executive and an Argentine marketing company, disputing that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent corruption rulings impact the massive FIFA corruption ordeal.
January 08, 2025
Intuitive Killed Biz For Reusing Robo-Surgery Arms, Jury Told

The president of a family-owned medical instrument repair business suing biotechnology company Intuitive Surgical on antitrust claims told a California federal jury Wednesday that his company saw a "huge opportunity" in providing a service that extended the life of Intuitive's surgical robot arms, but hospitals balked after Intuitive sent threatening letters.
January 08, 2025
Michael Jordan 'Bought Into' System, NASCAR Tells NC Judge

NASCAR implored a North Carolina federal judge on Wednesday to throw out portions of an antitrust suit brought by Michael Jordan's team and award a $36 million bond, saying it was the teams themselves who demanded the contracts they now claim are monopolistic.
January 08, 2025
PowerPlan To Pay $24M, Ending Rival's Monopoly Claims

Roper Technologies subsidiary PowerPlan Inc. has agreed to pay $24 million in a settlement with a rival firm formed by former employees who said the utility software giant tried to lock them out of the market by threatening litigation against them and prospective clients.
January 08, 2025
UnitedHealth Wants $3.3B Amedisys Deal Challenge Tossed

UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys Inc. asked a Maryland federal court Wednesday to toss a challenge of their planned $3.3 billion merger, contending that federal and state enforcers are refusing to say what "local" home health and hospice service markets would be hurt by the deal.
January 08, 2025
Khan Acknowledges 'Open Question' On Trump Antitrust Plan

Outgoing Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan argued Wednesday that the Biden administration's aggressive antitrust enforcement has scored real wins, even as she expressed mixed optimism in remarks about that legacy as Donald Trump retakes the White House.
January 08, 2025
Epic Gets Backing For Google App Store Changes

Epic Games has received support from federal antitrust enforcers, Microsoft and others at the Ninth Circuit as the game developer fights Google's bid to appeal an order forcing the tech giant to loosen its policies surrounding the distribution of apps on Android devices.
January 08, 2025
T-Mobile-UScellular Deal Won't Hurt Wireless Market, FCC Told

T-Mobile's $4.4 billion plan to buy spectrum and lease cell towers from UScellular appears likely to benefit consumers, a free-market think tank told the Federal Communications Commission as public interest groups continue to fight the deal.

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

E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
Takeaways From DOJ, FTC End To Collaboration Guidelines

The Federal Trade Commission's and U.S. Department of Justice's recent decision to withdraw the guidelines for collaborations among competitors may reflect a desire for clearer parameters by emphasizing case law on specific ventures, but it also carries the potential to chill some future collaboration, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.
What To Expect In Higher Ed Enforcement Under Trump

Colleges and universities should prepare for shifting priorities, as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to focus less on antitrust cases and more on foreign relations policy, while congressional oversight of higher education continues to increase, say attorneys at Steptoe.
Series

NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

In 2024's final quarter, the New York State Department of Financial Services published guidance on mitigating the rising cybersecurity risks of artificial intelligence and remote technology workers with North Korean ties, and the state attorney general launched an antitrust investigation into Capital One's proposed Discover merger, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
Series

Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
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.