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Competition
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May 16, 2024
CMA Deepens Probe Of Planned DJ Equipment Merger
The U.K.'s antitrust regulator said Thursday that it will launch a deeper, second phase of investigation into DJ equipment maker AlphaTheta's proposed acquisition of audio technology company Serato after the companies did not address its competition concerns.
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May 16, 2024
Siemens Selling Innomotics Unit To PE Firm KPS In $3.8B Deal
German tech conglomerate Siemens AG said Thursday it has agreed to sell its Innomotics large motors and drives unit to New York City-based private equity firm KPS Capital Partners at an enterprise value of €3.5 billion, or roughly $3.8 billion.
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May 15, 2024
Arizona AG Lobs Suits Over 'Deceptive' Amazon Practices
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Wednesday filed a pair of suits claiming that Amazon Prime's cancellation process and other features are deceptive, misleading and have led to higher prices for consumers.
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May 15, 2024
Noncompete Rule Challenge Gets More Backing
A slew of business groups have thrown their support behind a challenge of the Federal Trade Commission's sweeping ban on noncompete clauses for employees, saying the rule relies on "cherrypicked" data to back a policy preferred by the FTC's majority.
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May 15, 2024
Feds, Pesticide Cos. Seek More Time To Find Mediator
The Federal Trade Commission and agricultural chemical companies Syngenta and Corteva are seeking extra time to select a mediator as they litigate claims that the manufacturers leverage loyalty programs to suppress competition from cheaper generic pesticides.
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May 15, 2024
FTC Chair Khan Defends Request For 25% Budget Increase
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan defended a 25% budget increase request during a House appropriations hearing Wednesday, calling it "healthy" that aggressive Biden administration merger enforcement has made antitrust considerations top of mind for companies mulling transactions.
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May 15, 2024
Metropolis, SP Plus Get Rare Early End To $1.5B Deal Probe
The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to a rare early termination of its review of payments tech company Metropolis Technologies Inc.'s planned $1.5 billion deal for parking and logistics provider SP Plus Corp., after previously requesting additional information about the transaction.
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May 15, 2024
DLA Piper Int'l Trade Attys Jump To K&L Gates In DC
K&L Gates LLP is continuing to add international trade talent to its ranks, saying Wednesday that it had added two DLA Piper lawyers to its Washington, D.C., office.
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May 15, 2024
Former Sandoz Executive Avoids Prison In Price-Fixing Case
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday approved a request from prosecutors and ex-Sandoz Pharmaceuticals executive Hector Armando Kellum for a one-year probation sentence in the generic drug price-fixing case against him, citing his cooperation with the government's investigation into a larger conspiracy.
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May 15, 2024
Klobuchar Wants FTC To Make Firms Report Real Estate Buys
It's time for the Federal Trade Commission to require the companies and private equity firms gobbling up residential real estate to report those acquisitions to the agency for antitrust purposes the same way they have to report other big purchases, Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.
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May 15, 2024
Kirkland Guiding Billionaire McCourt On Bid To Buy TikTok
Billionaire Frank McCourt, advised by Kirkland & Ellis, says he's building a consortium to purchase TikTok and redesign the platform to eliminate the collection of users' information, putting "people in control of their [own] digital identities and data."
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May 14, 2024
Rumble Hits Google With Antitrust Suit Over Ad Practices
Canadian video sharing service Rumble on Monday launched its second antitrust lawsuit against Google, lleging in California federal court that the tech behemoth has built on its search engine monopoly to grab monopoly power across digital advertising markets, echoing claims in pending multidistrict litigation.
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May 14, 2024
DOJ Search Case Unveils Google-Apple Pact, Consumers Say
Private plaintiffs are asking for another crack at their antitrust suit accusing Google of entering illegal agreements to serve as the iPhone's default search engine, saying newly discovered contracts unearthed from the U.S. Department of Justice's ongoing case against the tech giant support a reconsideration.
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May 14, 2024
RealPage, Landlords Look To Trim Ariz. Price-Fixing Case
Rental algorithm company RealPage and several landlords have urged an Arizona state court to trim fraud claims from the attorney general's case accusing them of using software to illegally raise rents for hundreds of thousands of renters, and they also asked to limit the time frame for enforcers' antitrust claims.
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May 14, 2024
Boeing Can't Beat Rival's Trade Secrets Claim, 11th Circ. Hints
Counsel for Boeing attempted to convince the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday that a rival aircraft company's bid to claim unjust enrichment amid a long-running U.S. Air Force contract fight should be barred by contract language that waived claims for damages stemming from Boeing's allegedly underhanded bidding tactics.
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May 14, 2024
FTC Cleared To Sue Texas Anesthesia Co., But Not PE Firm
A Texas federal judge highlighted the limits of the Federal Trade Commission's ability to go after private equity firms accused of anti-competitive "roll-up" strategies, tossing antitrust claims against a private equity firm while preserving monopolization allegations against the anesthesia group the firm created.
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May 14, 2024
Boeing Jury To Sift Through Failed Electric Jet Partnership
Washington-based Zunum Aero Inc. was soaring in 2017 when The Boeing Co. invested millions to propel development of a hybrid-electric or all-electric jet that the startup boasted could make air travel greener, faster and cheaper.
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May 14, 2024
Aerospace Co. Hit With $450M Engine Parts Antitrust Suit
RTX Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney got hit with a $450 million antitrust lawsuit by a parts supplier who says the company and its Canadian arm are using illegal agreements to monopolize the aftermarket supply of their PT6 and PW100 turboprop engine components.
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May 14, 2024
Judge Trims More From Prison Phone Co.'s Antitrust Suit
Prison telephone service provider Global Tel Link and a Pennsylvania county now have one fewer claim to face in a lawsuit accusing them of sinking a rival company's chance at winning a contract with the county, after a federal court trimmed away yet another claim.
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May 14, 2024
Amazon Rips 'Misleading' Claims Execs Destroyed Evidence
Amazon on Monday opposed the Federal Trade Commission's and state attorneys generals' allegations that founder Jeff Bezos and other executives used the encrypted app Signal to destroy evidence in their high-stakes Washington federal court antitrust fight, arguing that the executives' use of the app is legitimate and that the plaintiffs' motion is "misleading."
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May 14, 2024
Cheerleader Parents Seek 1st OK On $82.5M Varsity Deal
Parents of cheer athletes say they have settled antitrust claims against cheerleading giant Varsity Brands and other major industry players for $82.5 million, and have asked a Tennessee federal judge to give the deal preliminary approval.
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May 14, 2024
Shire Settles Claims Over Alleged ADHD Generic Delay
Purchasers of the medication Intuniv have settled a years-old class action against drugmaker Shire PLC and manufacturer Actavis over allegations that the companies struck an anti-competitive deal to delay the production of a generic version of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug.
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May 14, 2024
Pool Co. Pleads For Reprieve From Asset Freeze To Pay Attys
A Chinese manufacturer of swimming pool products and its American subsidiary are seeking a temporary respite from a court-ordered asset freeze intended to ensure they pay a multimillion-dollar verdict, saying they need to pay legal fees and other trial costs in the interim.
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May 14, 2024
UK Considers Fixes To Utility's £89M Water Biz Deal
Britain's antitrust authority said on Tuesday that it could accept solutions set out by the Pennon Group to alleviate competition concerns about the utility company's proposed purchase of a rival operator for approximately £89 million ($112 million).
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May 13, 2024
Chamber Asks Texas Judge To Stop FTC Noncompete Ban
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked a Texas federal judge to issue a court order stopping the Federal Trade Commission's new noncompete rule from going into effect while litigation challenging the ban plays out, arguing the rule's enforcement would irreparably harm businesses and their employees.
Expert Analysis
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Cross-Market Implications In FTC's Anesthesia Complaint
The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against a private equity firm's acquisition of anesthesiology practices highlights the controversial issue of cross-market harm in health care provider mergers, and could provide important insights into how a court may view such theories of harm, say Christopher Lau and Dina Older Aguilar at Cornerstone Research.
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FTC Orange Book Move Signals New Pharma Patent Scrutiny
The Federal Trade Commission's recent dispute against improper listing of drug patents in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orange Book indicates heightened surveillance of the pharmaceutical industry, particularly where competition-related consequences of patent or regulatory processes are concerned, say attorneys at Fenwick.
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AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier
Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.
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Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
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General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI
With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.
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Competition Considerations From Biden's AI Executive Order
In light of President Joe Biden's recent executive order on artificial intelligence and the antitrust agencies' expansive enforcement posture, businesses in the technology and related industries should expect scrutiny, and avoid interactions that could be perceived as unlawful collaborations or exchange of competitively sensitive information, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information
As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.
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First-Of-Its-Kind Artist AI Ruling Offers Liability Guidance
A California judge recently became the first federal judge in Andersen v. Stability AI to rule at the pleading stage on a challenge to claims that training artificial intelligence models involves mass-scale copyright infringement, providing insight into the potential legal exposure of AI-enabled products, say attorneys at Fenwick.
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Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD
Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.
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How 'Safe Harbor' Policy Will Modify M&A Processes
Legal practitioners should be aware that the Justice Department's "safe harbor" immunity will change the typical M&A process significantly as acquirers start embedding fraud detection into their due diligence, including a broader scope of examinations and interviews, says Jesse Silvertown at The Ledge.
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Earnout Contract Considerations After NC Good Faith Ruling
The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent Value Health Solutions v. Pharmaceutical Research decision, holding the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing did not apply in an earnout dispute related to an asset sale, demonstrates the need for practitioners to pay careful attention to milestone concepts in M&A transactions, says Benjamin Hicks at Wagner Hicks.
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Reading Between The Lines Of HHS' National Lab Opinion
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recently rejected a national laboratory's request to pay a referring lab to process specimens, but the request might have been an attempt to exploit the OIG's advisory opinion process for a competitive advantage, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.
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ITC Ban On Apple Watch Could Still Be Reversed
The U.S. International Trade Commission's recent final decision that the Apple Watch infringed two patents owned by Masimo Corp. was a rare instance of a popular consumer product being hit with an absolute importation ban, but it's possible that President Joe Biden could assert his power to reverse the ITC decision, says Benjamin Horton at Marshall Gerstein.
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Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence
Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Biden Admin's M&A Rhetoric Outpaces Enforcement Numbers
Despite the Biden administration's rhetoric about the need to reinvigorate antitrust efforts, merger enforcement actions by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division are at 20-year lows, with the agencies opting for deterrence instead, says Ryan Quillian at Covington.