Competition

  • October 25, 2024

    Apple-Google Pact Plaintiff Stuck With 9th Circ. Appeal

    A Ninth Circuit panel has refused to let a training school send its case accusing Google of paying Apple to refrain from developing its own search engine back to district court in light of a recent D.C. federal judge's decision that Google monopolizes the search market.

  • October 25, 2024

    Off The Bench: Toss-Up For Ohtani Ball, UFC Fighters' Payday

    In this week's Off The Bench, the three claimants to a historic baseball now know how much is at stake for the winner, a long fight against wage suppression for mixed martial arts fighters is a step closer to ending, and WNBA players want a bigger piece of a growing revenue pie.

  • October 25, 2024

    'Starting Point' Algorithm Enough To Fix Prices, DOJ Says

    The Justice Department is using the first algorithmic price-fixing case to reach an appeals court to argue that just because an algorithm only set "starting points" doesn't make its use legal, in a Ninth Circuit amicus brief backing efforts to revive a room rate lawsuit against Las Vegas casino hotels.

  • October 25, 2024

    UK Antitrust Arm Opens Formal Probe Of $35B Software Deal

    United Kingdom antitrust authorities triggered a formal investigation Friday into Synopsys Inc.'s $35 billion acquisition of Ansys Inc., satisfied that the transaction has enough ties to the country to merit greater scrutiny.

  • October 25, 2024

    FCC Didn't Play Favorites For Soros In Audacy Deal, GOP Told

    The Federal Communications Commission's approval of radio station chain Audacy's recent ownership change mirrored the way it handled similar media deals in past years, the FCC's chief told critics alleging it fast-tracked the Audacy plan to benefit Democratic donor George Soros.

  • October 25, 2024

    MVP: Hueston Hennigan's John C. Hueston

    John C. Hueston of Hueston Hennigan LLP led his firm to victory against Google twice last year, once on behalf of dating service company Match and then was invited onto the Epic Games trial team, where he helped convince a jury that the tech behemoth had used its app store to stifle competition, earning him a spot among the 2024 Law360 Competition MVPs.

  • October 25, 2024

    NCAA Creating Cloudy Future As It Clings To Control

    Experts speaking at a symposium from Temple University's Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia drove home the point that the NCAA's multibillion-dollar court settlement providing damages and revenue to past and future college athletes falls far short of settling the remaining challenges to its control of college sports.

  • October 24, 2024

    Bell Says Vendor Shouldn't Get $127M In Trade Secret Suit

    Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. told a Texas jury that a third-party vendor took the aerospace company's tech and "slapped their name on it," saying during closing arguments Thursday that jurors should reject California-based digital avionics equipment supplier Rogerson Aircraft Corp.'s ask of $127 million.

  • October 24, 2024

    Colo. Says Grocers' Execs Get Paid, No Matter The Fallout

    Colorado told a state judge Thursday that consumers bear the risk in a proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger Co. and Albertsons, arguing grocery executives will still get their multimillion-dollar payouts even if prices go up or stores close.

  • October 24, 2024

    FTC Official Doubts Election Will Deter Antitrust 'New Era'

    The Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition director defended the agency's new guidelines and its track record during a wide-ranging discussion at the 34th annual Golden State Institute on Thursday, and he expressed confidence that whichever presidential candidate wins, a new administration won't deter this "new era" of FTC antitrust enforcement actions.

  • October 24, 2024

    FTC Probing Boeing's $4.7B Spirit Aero Takeover

    The Federal Trade Commission wants to know more about Boeing's $4.7 billion plan to take over aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems before it decides whether to sign off on the transaction, new filings have revealed.

  • October 24, 2024

    AMA Latest To Sue MultiPlan Over Out-of-Network Pricing

    The American Medical Association and the Illinois State Medical Society are the latest to accuse MultiPlan and the nation's largest health insurers of colluding through the use of the data firm's pricing tools to systematically underpay out-of-network providers, alleging in Illinois federal court Thursday that the "far-reaching and unlawful cartel" inhibits its members from offering critical care.

  • October 24, 2024

    Walmart Hid Patent Evidence, Co.'s Sanctions Bid Claims

    Zest Labs wants Walmart sanctioned in a suit claiming the retail giant stole the startup's trade secrets related to shelf-freshness technology, telling an Arkansas federal judge that Walmart hid important evidence about patents it had filed applications for.

  • October 24, 2024

    Trade Orgs Back Google's Bid For 9th Circ. Play Store Pause

    Trade groups and cybersecurity experts have told the Ninth Circuit to extend the pause on the mandate forcing Google to open up its Play Store and help rival app stores compete through that distribution mechanism, backing Google with amicus briefs warning of major disruptions to the app ecosystem.

  • October 24, 2024

    Michael Jordan's Team Calls NASCAR A 'Monopolistic Bully'

    NASCAR is acting like a "monopolistic bully" by deflecting a bid for expedited information in an antitrust suit, a pair of racing teams, including one owned by Michael Jordan, told a North Carolina federal court.

  • October 24, 2024

    DOJ, DOT Launch Inquiry Into Air Travel Competition

    The U.S. departments of Justice and Transportation said Thursday that they're launching a joint inquiry into the state of competition in air travel, the latest in a run of Biden administration competition- and consumer-driven initiatives.

  • October 24, 2024

    DOJ Pushes Justices To Revive Bid-Rigging Conviction

    Federal prosecutors told the U.S. Supreme Court that the Fourth Circuit got it wrong last year when it vacated the bid-rigging conviction of aluminum pipe maker Contech's former executive, arguing Wednesday that agreements between firms can be per se unlawful even when they have a vertical relationship.

  • October 24, 2024

    PBMs Want Separate FTC Hearings Over Insulin Prices

    Caremark Rx LLC, Express Scripts Inc. and OptumRx Inc. are calling for separate proceedings in the Federal Trade Commission's case accusing the pharmacy benefit managers of artificially inflating insulin prices through unfair rebate schemes.

  • October 24, 2024

    Judge Halts Nev. Home Seller Action Amid NAR Settlement Talk

    A Nevada federal judge has agreed to extend the pause for a proposed class action from Nevada home sellers against the National Association of Realtors and a collection of multiple listing services, as the defendants come to nationwide settlements with litigants in other cases.

  • October 24, 2024

    Dems Urge HHS To Better Protect Wheelchair Users From PE

    A pair of Democratic senators is pressing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to do more to protect the approximately 5.5 million wheelchair users in the country from private equity "abuses."

  • October 24, 2024

    Court Pauses $8.5B Handbag Merger For FTC Challenge

    A New York federal judge on Thursday paused the planned $8.5 billion merger between the owners of Michael Kors and Coach while the Federal Trade Commission challenges the deal over concerns about "accessible luxury" handbags.

  • October 24, 2024

    FCC Finds Fraught Turf In Planning The Future Of 4.9 GHz

    The Federal Communications Commission wants to dedicate unused portions of the 4.9 gigahertz band to both public safety and 5G, but has discovered just how hard it is to please everyone in an era of dwindling spectrum resources.

  • October 24, 2024

    Heineken Faces €160M Claim After Dutch Market Abuse Ruling

    Heineken was held jointly liable for its Greek subsidiary abusing its dominant position to hold back competitors by a Dutch court, paving the way for a rival brewery to press home its over €160 million ($173 million) antitrust claim against the beer giant.

  • October 24, 2024

    EU Court Upholds Annulment Of Intel's €1B Antitrust Fine

    Computer chip giant Intel Corp. has beaten the European Commission's €1.06 billion ($1.14 billion) fine against it after the European Union's highest court ruled that a lower court could invalidate the EU administrative arm's conclusions, ending a long-running legal battle over the 2009 fine.

  • October 24, 2024

    MVP: Skadden's Steve Sunshine

    Steve Sunshine, global head of antitrust at Skadden, led a team representing Activision Blizzard through its $69 billion acquisition by Microsoft and secured the dismissal of major antitrust claims for Apple, earning him a spot among the 2024 Law360 MVPs.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion overruling the Chevron doctrine will have less impact on the U.S. International Trade Commission than other agencies administering trade statutes, given that the commission exercises its congressionally granted authority in a manner that allows for consistent decision making at both agency and judicial levels, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • How Generative AI May Aid Merger Clearance Process

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    Generative artificial intelligence capable of analyzing and searching large datasets stands to revolutionize the merger clearance process, including by significantly reducing the time and effort required to respond to Hart-Scott-Rodino second requests, say Kenneth Koch and Brian Blush at BDO USA.

  • Antitrust In Retail: The Meaning Of 'Accessible Luxury'

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    In order for the Federal Trade Commission to block a deal that would put six "accessible luxury" brands, including Coach and Michael Kors, under one roof, the agency will need to prove that this category is distinct from the true luxury or mass-market categories, says David Kully at Holland & Knight.

  • 4 Important Events In Bank Regulation: A Midyear Review

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    The first six months of 2024 have been fairly stable for the banking industry, though U.S. Supreme Court decisions and proposals from regulators have significantly affected the regulatory standards applicable to insured depository institutions, says Christina Grigorian at Katten.

  • FTC Focus: Competition And The Right To Repair

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    If the Federal Trade Commission includes commercial and industrial products as part of copyright exemptions that allow consumers to modify or repair products, then businesses and affected rights holders will need to consider copyrights' impact on infringement issues, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: June Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers two recent decisions from the Third and Tenth Circuits, and identifies practice tips around class action settlements and standing in securities litigation.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • The Current State Of Healthcare Transaction Reviews In Calif.

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    As of April, certain healthcare transactions in California have been subject to additional notification compliance requirements, and complying with these new rules could significantly delay and discourage some deals, says Andrew Demetriou at Husch Blackwell.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • Behind The Stagecoach Boundary Fare Dispute Settlement

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    The Competition Appeal Tribunal's recent rail network boundary fare settlement offers group action practitioners some much-needed guidance as it reduces the number of remaining parties' five-year dispute from two to one, says Mohsin Patel at Factor Risk Management.

  • What Companies Should Consider Amid Multistate AG Actions

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    The rise of multistate attorney general actions is characterized by increased collaboration and heightened scrutiny across various industries — including Big Tech and gaming — and though coalitions present challenges for targeted companies, they also offer opportunities for streamlined resolutions and coordinated public relations efforts, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

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