Competition

  • December 04, 2024

    Novartis Fails To Stop Generic Drug Release At Fed. Circ.

    Novartis could not persuade Federal Circuit judges to grant an injunction Wednesday protecting its blockbuster heart failure medication from facing generic competition, with the appeals court backing a Delaware federal judge's opinion that it was unlikely that one of the generic drug's ingredients is "amorphous."

  • December 04, 2024

    Live Nation Shields Legal Strategy Emails From DOJ Scrutiny

    A Manhattan federal judge rejected the U.S. Department of Justice's bid to see emails between Live Nation Entertainment Inc. lawyers and counsel for arena operator Oak View Group, holding Wednesday that these communications discussed a joint legal strategy for the government's antitrust investigation.

  • December 04, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Allow Bookseller Group In FTC's Amazon Suit

    An independent bookstore association can't join the government's antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, the Ninth Circuit said Wednesday, with the panel's majority agreeing with the Federal Trade Commission and e-commerce giant that the trade group's allegations involve different anticompetitive conduct in different markets.

  • December 04, 2024

    Building Contractor Agrees To End No-Hire Pacts

    Guardian Service Industries Inc. has agreed to stop enforcing no-hire agreements in its contracts that prevent building owners and managers from hiring the service contractor's employees after pressure from the Federal Trade Commission and state enforcers.

  • December 04, 2024

    RealPage Says DOJ's Antitrust Markets 'Hide The Ball'

    RealPage has urged a North Carolina federal court to throw out the government's antitrust case against it, arguing that enforcers have not shown that use of its software is raising rental rates in any part of the country and that landlords use it to offer competitive rents.

  • December 04, 2024

    Penn State Eyes Ban, Atty Fees After Trial Win Against Retailer

    The Pennsylvania State University has asked a federal court in the Keystone State to permanently block an online retailer and its owner from selling merchandise that a jury found infringed the university's trademarks, and said it is entitled to attorney fees from the "serial infringers."

  • December 04, 2024

    Amazon Held To Prior Fights, Ongoing Rules In Antitrust Row

    Amazon.com Inc. can't duck updated consumer antitrust suits because it failed to raise some arguments against prior iterations and because plaintiffs adequately alleged substantial, ongoing anticompetitive conduct and effects from rules punishing sellers who offer their goods cheaper elsewhere, according to a decision unsealed in Washington federal court.

  • December 04, 2024

    Outgoing FCC Chief Lacerates With A Grin At 'Telecom Prom'

    Lawyers who gathered for the telecom bar's marquee yearly dinner Tuesday were treated to the traditional night of sardonic wit as the outgoing head of the Federal Communications Commission took aim at the new power structure looming in Washington, D.C.

  • December 04, 2024

    Ace Hardware Looks To Nail Screw-Selling Rival Over TM Use

    Ace Hardware Corp. said Tuesday that a home improvement chain sharing the Ace name is watering down its decades of name recognition and goodwill while creeping in on Ace's turf and leading confused consumers astray.

  • December 04, 2024

    Trump Names Slater To DOJ Antitrust Against 'Wild' Big Tech

    President-elect Donald Trump signaled a full steam ahead approach to reining in major technology platforms with the announced nomination Wednesday of former Federal Trade Commission staffer and Trump administration economic adviser Gail Slater to run the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.

  • December 03, 2024

    Texas Judge Blocks 'Quasi-Orwellian' Anti-Laundering Law

    A Texas federal judge on Tuesday halted the Biden administration's roll-out of new reporting requirements aimed at unmasking anonymous shell companies, granting a nationwide preliminary injunction sought by business interests challenging their constitutionality.

  • December 03, 2024

    Mich. AG Deal, NIH 4th Circ. Win And X Corp Bid In HIPAA Row

    Michigan's attorney general has agreed not to hold a Christian healthcare provider accountable to certain antidiscrimination protections related to gender and sexuality while the provider challenges them in court. Meanwhile, a New York federal judge decided to keep the largest anesthesiology provider in the U.S. on the hook for antitrust claims over its noncompete agreements with clinicians.

  • December 03, 2024

    Investor Attys Seek $6.6M Cut Of $20M Metal Price-Fixing Deal

    Attorneys for investors settling platinum and palladium price-fixing claims against Goldman Sachs and others for $20 million have asked a New York federal judge to award them fees equivalent to a third of the settlement amount, or more than $6.6 million, a below-lodestar request that they said is, "clearly, not a windfall situation."

  • December 03, 2024

    Antitrust Judge Rips Apple's 'Meritless' Doc Privilege Claims

    Apple fought uphill Tuesday to convince a California federal magistrate judge that it properly withheld 57,000 documents from Epic Games due to attorney-client privilege in their antitrust fight, with the judge eventually telling its lawyer, "I disagree with everything you're saying, and the fact you're making these meritless arguments causes me concern."

  • December 03, 2024

    Former Officials Target DOJ, FTC Position In Epic V. Google

    The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission drew criticism Tuesday from former officials who targeted the agencies' stance on Google's Ninth Circuit fight against the mandated opening of the Android Play Store, with the officials warning in an amicus brief against "compulsory sharing obligations."

  • December 03, 2024

    Chancery Orders Revenue Trust For Healthcare Co. 'Poaching'

    A home health company formed through secret poaching by an allegedly disloyal former CEO, two officers and two private equities has been ordered to earmark much of its future revenue to a trust for the corporate victims, in a Delaware Court of Chancery ruling that described the subterfuge as "stunning."

  • December 03, 2024

    $1B Sandoz Placeholder Bid Needs More Support, Judge Says

    A Connecticut federal judge on Tuesday said he cannot force Novartis spinoff Sandoz Inc. to set aside a $1 billion litigation placeholder in a generic drug pricing lawsuit without hearing whether the state attorney general can enforce possible orders in other states where the pharmaceutical company keeps assets.

  • December 03, 2024

    Bearing Maker Settles With RTX, Rival In Trade Secrets Case

    A Connecticut roller bearing company has settled its lawsuits accusing military supplier RTX and a competitor of misusing trade secrets related to the design of a U.S. military bomb, after earlier delays in reaching an agreement.

  • December 03, 2024

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    The U.S. Department of Justice moved to block a $3 billion UnitedHealth Group deal, a pair of fashion brand companies abandoned their planned tie-up and the Federal Trade Commission pushed its bid to pause Tempur Sealy's $4 billion purchase of retailer Mattress Firm.

  • December 03, 2024

    AmEx Loses Arbitration Bid Due To 'Ironic' Unpaid $17M Bill

    A Rhode Island federal judge on Monday rejected sending a proposed antitrust class action over American Express Co.'s swipe-fee rules back to arbitration after the company refused to pay arbitration fees totaling $17 million, observing that AmEx's actions created its own "ironic dilemma: a credit card company not paying its bills."

  • December 03, 2024

    Microsoft Asks FTC Watchdog To Look Into Leaked Probe

    A Microsoft deputy general counsel on Tuesday asked the Federal Trade Commission's inspector general to look into whether commission management improperly told a news outlet that the FTC had opened a broad antitrust investigation of the tech giant.

  • December 03, 2024

    Google Wants Ad Tech Claims In Texas Heard By Judge, Not Jury

    Google is pushing to have the Texas-led antitrust case targeting its digital ad technology tried to a judge instead of a jury, saying state enforcers are not entitled to have a jury decide whether the company violated the law or what penalties should be imposed if it did.

  • December 03, 2024

    PE-Backed Anesthesia Giant Can't Duck Antitrust Claims

    A New York federal judge refused to nix a Syracuse hospital's antitrust damages claims against North America's largest anesthesia provider, finding the alleged multimillion-dollar costs incurred from understaffing and overpayment can be traced to noncompete agreements locking in anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists.

  • December 03, 2024

    CSX Asks High Court to Weigh Norfolk Southern Rate Case

    CSX has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fourth Circuit ruling that the rail giant's antitrust lawsuit against Norfolk Southern over a switching line the two railroads own was outside the statute of limitations.

  • December 03, 2024

    NASCAR Calls Lawsuit Bluster Wrapped In 'Antitrust Garb'

    NASCAR has encouraged a North Carolina federal court to toss a lawsuit filed by two racing teams, arguing their objection to the league's charter system is simply a misguided attempt to "dress up private business frustrations in antitrust garb."

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From DOJ's Intervention On Pricing Algorithm Use

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    A recent U.S. Justice Department amicus brief arguing that a Nevada federal judge wrongly focused on the nonbinding aspect of software company Cendyn Group's pricing algorithm underscores the growing challenge of determining when, if ever, pricing algorithms are legal, say attorneys at Rule Garza.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Expect More State Scrutiny Of PE In Healthcare M&A

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    While a California bill that called for increased antitrust scrutiny of many healthcare private equity transactions was recently vetoed by the governor, state legislatures are likely to continue introducing similar laws, particularly if the Trump administration eases federal enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Navigating 4th Circ.'s Antitrust Burden In Hybrid Relationships

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to review the Fourth Circuit's Brewbaker decision, a holding that heightens the burden on antitrust prosecutors when the target companies have a hybrid horizontal-vertical relationship, but diverges from other circuits, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    FTC Actions In Oil Cases Go Against Its Own Rulemaking

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    Two recent Federal Trade Commission actions concerning the oil and gas industry appear to defy its own merger guidelines, with allegations that fall far short of the commission's own standard — raising serious questions about the agency's current approach, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • 9th Circ.'s High Bar May Limit Keyword Confusion TM Claims

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    A recent Ninth Circuit ruling that a law firm did not infringe upon a competitor’s trademarks by paying Google to promote its website when users searched for the rival’s name signals that plaintiffs likely can no longer win infringement suits by claiming competitive keyword advertising confuses internet-savvy consumers, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • FTC Focus: Zeroing In On Post-Election Labor Markets

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    The presidential election and the push-and-pull of the administrative state's reach are likely to affect the Federal Trade Commission's focus on labor markets, including the tenor of noncompete rule enforcement, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • OpenAI's Patent Pledge Is Not All It Seems

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    A recent statement that OpenAI won't assert its own patents is more of an aspiration than an obligation, and should prompt practitioners to think deeply about the underlying legal mechanisms of patent and contract law when determining the effectiveness of similar nonassertion pledges, say attorneys at McDonnell Boehnen.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin

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    Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    The Right Kind Of Deregulation In Commercial Airline Industry

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    Similar to the economic deregulation that occurred more than four decades ago during the Carter administration, the incoming Trump administration should restore the very limited federal regulatory role in the economics of the airline industry, says former U.S. transportation secretary James Burnley at Venable.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

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