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Competition
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April 03, 2024
Mortgage Co. Targeted In News Report Hit With RICO Suit
United Wholesale Mortgage LLC, its parent company and its CEO were hit with a proposed class action Tuesday in Michigan federal court accusing them of scheming with mortgage brokers to steer borrowers into more expensive loans the same day that Hunterbrook Media, a new journalism and hedge fund outfit, published its first investigative piece focused on the company.
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April 03, 2024
Google's Win In Ad Tech Antitrust MDL To Get 2nd Circ. Look
A group of Massachusetts-based gym and spa businesses informed a New York federal judge Wednesday they will be taking to the Second Circuit their challenge of the judge's order dismissing their antitrust claims in multidistrict litigation over Google's alleged monopoly in digital advertising.
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April 03, 2024
EU Probing Solar Project Under Foreign Subsidy Rules
European enforcers launched a pair of investigations Wednesday to assess whether companies bidding on a solar project in Romania received an unfair advantage through foreign subsidies.
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April 03, 2024
FCC Adopts Contested New Radio Geotargeting Rules
Two members of the Federal Communications Commission said new rules allowing hyper-local targeting of radio broadcast content will help small and minority-owned stations after the agency passed them despite worries from larger broadcasters.
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April 03, 2024
Epoxy Cos. Say Unfair Trade Threatens Crucial Domestic Industry
Epoxy resin producers have called on U.S. officials to investigate rivals in Asia for unfair trade practices, arguing Wednesday that an influx of allegedly undervalued imports is threatening the domestic supply of an item with automotive, electronic and defense applications.
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April 03, 2024
Anheuser-Busch 'Choking Off' Beer Supply, Distributor Says
A New York beer distributor accused Anheuser-Busch InBev of slowly cutting off its supply using force that could only be exerted by such a "corporate behemoth," according to a suit filed in Manhattan federal court.
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April 03, 2024
Oil Company Says Judge's Recusal Not Needed In Cartel Suits
Pioneer Natural Resources Co. fired back at gasoline buyers' attempt to recuse a Nevada federal judge from the parties' antitrust litigation over her stock ownership in ExxonMobil Corp., arguing that the company isn't a party to the case, and that the litigation should be transferred to Texas.
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April 03, 2024
FCC To Vote On Net Neutrality Plan At Late April Meeting
The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday the agency will vote April 25 on a Democratic proposal floated in October to restore net neutrality rules last imposed on internet services during the Obama administration, but repealed by Republicans in 2017.
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April 02, 2024
Jon Stewart Reveals Apple's Heavy Hand In Lina Khan Chat
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan appeared on "The Daily Show" on Monday night for a wide-ranging conversation in which host Jon Stewart revealed that Apple wouldn't allow him to speak with her on a podcast related to his Apple TV+ show.
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April 02, 2024
Broadcasters Gear Up For FCC Fight Over 'Sidecar' Deals
The Federal Communications Commission's recent effort to fine broadcast titan Nexstar more than $1 million over a "sidecar" arrangement with a New York TV station reflects tensions between the FCC and the industry over complex ownership deals going back years.
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April 02, 2024
2 More Poultry Cos. Settle Wage-Fixing Suit
Poultry processing workers sought preliminary approval Monday for deals with Case Foods Inc. and Mountaire Farms totaling $22 million that would make the companies the 10th and 11th wage-fixing defendants to settle out of a broader Maryland federal court case where total payouts reach $217.25 million.
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April 02, 2024
Amazon, Apple Buyers Defend Adding New Class Reps
Attorneys for a proposed antitrust class action against Apple and Amazon say the tech giants are being unreasonable by trying to stop them from adding new class representatives to the case after the initial delegate stopped talking with his legal team.
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April 02, 2024
Tesla Pushed On La. Antitrust Claims In 5th Circ.
Tesla Inc.'s claims that Louisiana car dealers and regulators illegally excluded the direct-sale automaker from the state's market met a Fifth Circuit panel Tuesday that questioned how the case might be impacted by a Pelican State probe into the company's allegedly unlawful conduct.
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April 02, 2024
Consumers Ask To Update Amazon Antitrust Claims
Consumers seeking billions of dollars over allegations that Amazon's merchant contracts cause them to pay higher prices are asking a Washington federal court for permission to update their claims to include more details about the tactics the e-commerce giant allegedly used.
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April 02, 2024
Fanatics Exec To Take Stand In DraftKings Noncompete Suit
A Boston federal judge said Tuesday she expects a former DraftKings executive to testify later this month in a hearing to sort out competing narratives and allegations of corporate espionage related to his abrupt departure to work for rival sportsbook Fanatics.
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April 02, 2024
Qualcomm Says 9th Circ. Panel Already Heard Chip Claims
Qualcomm is urging the Ninth Circuit to assign an appeal from phone and tablet buyers looking to revive allegations that the chipmaker uses anti-competitive licensing practices to the same panel that nixed a class certification ruling in the long-running case.
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April 02, 2024
Ohio Regulator Urges Justices To Review FERC Deadlock Rule
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Third Circuit's decision upholding a rule change from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that took effect despite a commissioner deadlock, arguing that the appellate court didn't apply a fitting standard.
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April 02, 2024
Monthly Merger Review Snapshot
Kroger and Albertsons navigated merger challenges from the Federal Trade Commission and two separate state attorneys general, Nippon Steel tried to assuage concerns from the White House down about its planned purchase of U.S. Steel, and JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines abandoned their merger.
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April 02, 2024
NFL Rips 'Unnecessary' Compel Motion In Sunday Ticket Spat
The NFL pushed back against the plaintiffs' efforts to revisit discovery documents in an antitrust class action over the league's Sunday Ticket broadcast package, arguing the motion to compel is a "manufactured and unnecessary dispute" over a discovery process that ended two years ago.
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April 02, 2024
Hagens Berman To Lead Yardi Rent Price-Fixing Class Action
A Washington federal court tapped Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as interim lead counsel for a putative class of renters amid a suit alleging that 11 property management companies are part of a price-fixing ring powered by an algorithm developed by Yardi Systems Inc.
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April 02, 2024
Investment Adviser Wants Stolen Clients Suit Trimmed
An investment adviser and her new firm told a Florida court on Monday that the parent holding company of her former employer Mercer Global Advisors does not have standing to pursue its claims that she stole its clients and interfered with its business.
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April 02, 2024
Proskauer Adds 13-Year Wilson Sonsini Vet, Ex-DOJ Leader
Proskauer Rose LLP has hired a longtime Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC partner who also has two decades of experience working with the U.S. Department of Justice on a range of antitrust matters, the firm announced.
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April 01, 2024
Warner Bros. Directors Resign Amid DOJ Antitrust Concerns
A pair of Warner Bros. Discovery directors have resigned from the board of directors after the U.S. Department of Justice flagged potential antitrust concerns over them sitting on both the Warner Bros. board as well as the board of Charter Communications, the agency announced Monday.
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April 01, 2024
RICO Claims Fail In Suit Against Developer, Judge Says
A Texas federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by real estate entities associated with a Dallas developer who accused the founders of Megatel Homes LLC of racketeering, saying that the lawsuit didn't plausibly state that the defendants had engaged in any unlawful racketeering activity.
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April 01, 2024
Mixed Ruling Readies Vegas Newspapers For Trial
A Nevada federal judge has teed up the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun for a contentious trial with a decision nixing Review-Journal antitrust counterclaims, preserving core Sun antitrust claims and holding the Review-Journal to an agreement to distribute the papers as a single product.
Expert Analysis
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FTC AI Inquiry Signals Intensified Focus On Emerging Tech
The Federal Trade Commission's recent inquiry into investments and partnerships between Big Tech companies and artificial intelligence startups appears to be directed at guiding future enforcement decisions in competition, privacy and consumer protection — and three principles discussed at a related tech summit give insight on the agency's approach, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Assessing Merger Guideline Feedback With Machine Learning
Large language modeling appears to show that public sentiment matches agency intent around the new merger control guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Justice Department, says Andrew Sfekas at Cornerstone Research.
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Series
Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.
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What Cos. Evaluating M&A Can Glean From Latest HSR Report
The recently released Hart-Scott-Rodino report for fiscal year 2022 helps unearth important data points for companies as they evaluate potential transactions, including that, despite a historically low enforcement rate, the number of actions exceeds the number of second requests for the first time in nearly 20 years, say Ryan Quillian and John Kendrick at Covington.
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Algorithmic Pricing Programs Caught In Antitrust Crosshairs
The Justice Department's investigation into software company RealPage follows a host of federal antitrust cases alleging that property owners and casino hotel operators use the same proprietary software programs to fix and maintain pricing, which means algorithmic pricing programs are considered a key price-fixing tool in the digital age, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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UK Court Ruling Reinforces CMA's Info-Gathering Powers
An English appeals court's recent decision in the BMW and Volkswagen antitrust cases affirmed that the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority can request information from entities outside the U.K., reinstating an important implement in the CMA's investigative toolkit, say lawyers at White & Case.
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5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.
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How Biotech Deals May Help Competition, Despite FTC View
The Federal Trade Commission's complaint against Sanofi's proposed partnership with Maze Therapeutics highlights increasing skepticism of so-called killer acquisitions, but a closer look reveals potentially legitimate reasons behind why entities might decide to delay or abandon the development of acquired products, say consultants at Analysis Group.
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New SDNY Whistleblower Program May Be A Game-Changer
A new pilot program in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York promises to immunize from prosecution certain individuals who blow the whistle on financial crimes and corruption, and if similar self-disclosure programs are any indication, this significant new policy may measurably increase white collar investigations, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.
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Series
Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
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Unraveling The Bundled Benefits Of Retail Memberships
The recent prevalence of paid retail memberships and the associated findings of a consumer survey suggest that assessing consumer preferences and welfare may be important when considering resolution mechanisms in antitrust contexts, say Rosa M. Abrantes-Metz at Berkeley Research Group, Mame Maloney at The Brattle Group and Jeff Brazell at the University of Utah.
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Changes To Note In New AAA Mass Arbitration Rules
The American Arbitration Association updated its mass arbitration rules earlier this month — clarifying issues that were previously being litigated in front of the AAA, and significantly streamlining the process of getting to a merits arbitration for claimants who have suffered similar wrongs and are bound by mandatory arbitration clauses, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.