Competition

  • April 25, 2024

    FDIC Tables Plans To Scrutinize Big 'Passive' Bank Investors

    Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. leaders on Thursday debated two competing proposals intended to address concerns about asset managers and other investors amassing outsized influence over banks whose shares they own, ultimately taking the rare step of tabling the measures as neither garnered majority support.

  • April 25, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Legal Battles Set To Begin On Broadband 'Neutrality' Regs

    Now that the Federal Communications Commission's Democratic leadership brushed past GOP members' opposition to net neutrality rules, it faces what could be a higher hurdle — growing resistance in the courts to expansive views of agency powers.

  • April 25, 2024

    FCC OKs $1.35B T-Mobile, Mint Deal With Unlocked Phones

    The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved T-Mobile's $1.35 billion purchase of Ka'ena, the parent company of Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds' wireless brand Mint Mobile, adopting as a condition for approval the carrier's commitment to more quickly "unlocking" its phones so they can be transferred between service providers.

  • April 25, 2024

    Standard General Claims Racial Bias By FCC In Tegna Deal

    Hedge fund manager Soo Kim is suing the Federal Communications Commission and a cadre of media players over what he calls a racially charged conspiracy to block his fund's $8.6 billion purchase of media company Tegna, claiming the agency discriminated against him when it sidelined the deal last year.

  • April 25, 2024

    Antitrust Enforcers Warn FERC About Ownership Overlaps

    The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice warned energy regulators Thursday about competitive risks that can arise from investment firms that own stakes in multiple electric utilities, even if they don't have controlling interests.

  • April 25, 2024

    NC Hospital Leader Condemns FTC's Merger Block Bid

    The chief of staff for a North Carolina hospital in the midst of a merger battle ripped the care facility's current owners Thursday in a show of support for new ownership, pleading for federal antitrust regulators to get out of the way lest they usher in "a year long death marked by suffering" for the hospital.

  • April 25, 2024

    UK Antitrust Arm Frontloads In-Depth Merger Probes

    U.K. antitrust authorities finalized extensive changes Thursday to their in-depth merger probes, with an emphasis on frontloading the process for sooner — and more informal — talks with companies under investigation.

  • April 25, 2024

    T-Mobile, EQT Form Joint Venture To Acquire Fiber Biz

    T-Mobile and private equity shop EQT on Thursday announced that they have entered into a joint venture, under which T-Mobile will invest $950 million at closing, to purchase fiber-to-the-home platform Lumos from one of EQT's previous infrastructure funds, in a deal built by three firms.

  • April 25, 2024

    Conn. Judge In Drug Price-Fixing Suit Reveals Day Pitney Ties

    U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea of the District of Connecticut said Thursday he will not recuse himself from overseeing state enforcers' price-fixing claims against Sandoz Inc. and other drug companies despite Sandoz's attorneys being from Day Pitney LLP, where he was once a partner.

  • April 25, 2024

    Class Counsel Seeks $31M From $93M Lipitor Settlement

    Attorneys representing a class of buyers in antitrust litigation against Pfizer over the cholesterol medication Lipitor have asked a New Jersey federal judge to approve their request for $31 million in fees after the two sides agreed to a $93 million settlement in February.

  • April 25, 2024

    FCC Restores Net Neutrality Rules In Party-Line Vote

    The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on party lines Thursday to bring back the Obama-era net neutrality regime by reclassifying broadband service under the Communications Act and making it subject to common carrier telecom rules.

  • April 24, 2024

    Construction Supplier Threatened Us, Distribution Execs Say

    Current and former executives for construction distribution companies told a Denver jury Wednesday they believed a Berkshire Hathaway-owned construction supply company pressured them not to do business with a smaller rival, with one witness saying he initially stuck with the Berkshire supplier because it didn't seem like an "idle threat."

  • April 24, 2024

    3M And Ga. Utility Say $850M PFAS Cleanup Plan A No-Go

    3M, a Georgia utilities provider and carpet and chemical manufacturers told a Georgia federal judge Wednesday they shouldn't have to face an $850 million remediation plan to clean up alleged waterway contamination from forever chemicals.

  • April 24, 2024

    FCC OKs Detroit TV Deal — If Certain Conditions Are Met

    The Federal Communications Commission approved the $75 million sale of a Michigan-based television station to Mission Broadcasting, but conditioned the sale on terms meant to ensure that Nexstar, the country's largest TV station group owner, does not have de facto control of the station.

  • April 24, 2024

    NFL Can't Tell Jurors Attys Fueled Sunday Ticket Suit

    With an antitrust trial in long-running multidistrict litigation between the NFL and DirecTV subscribers over the league's Sunday Ticket football package set to kick off this summer, the judge overseeing the case is laying down the law about what can and can't be told to the jury.

  • April 24, 2024

    EU Court Won't Disturb Spanish Tax Break Rulings

    A Spanish company on Wednesday lost its attempt to legitimize a tax scheme declared illegal by the European Commission when the European Union's General Court rejected its appeal, refusing to disturb prior decisions in the long-running dispute.

  • April 24, 2024

    DOJ Wants To Weigh In On Texas Google Ad Tech Discovery

    The U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge Wednesday for permission to file a statement of interest in a Texas-led lawsuit accusing Google of anticompetitive conduct in the display advertising market, writing that the states' request for certain discovery items may violate an order in a substantially similar suit the DOJ is pursuing in Virginia.

  • April 24, 2024

    'Net Neutrality' Timeline: From Brand X To Biden-Era Brawl

    The legal fight over how to treat broadband service hits a new milestone Thursday in Washington, the latest in a dispute that started a generation ago, soon after consumers began widely using the internet in the 1990s.

  • April 24, 2024

    Groups Back Intuit's 5th Circ. Challenge To FTC Over Ads

    Business and conservative groups defended tax software giant Intuit Inc. in its Fifth Circuit constitutional challenge to the Federal Trade Commission's findings that the company engaged in deceptive advertising, saying the agency acts as both prosecutor and jury and that its administrative judges have unchecked power.

  • April 24, 2024

    Chamber Of Commerce Sues FTC Over New Noncompete Rule

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has lodged a promised lawsuit challenging the Federal Trade Commission's new rule banning noncompete agreements, contending the pacts are good for the economy and that the agency lacks authority to issue the regulation.

  • April 24, 2024

    Paul Weiss-Led IBM To Acquire HashiCorp In $6.4B Deal

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP is representing IBM on a deal to buy infrastructure automation company HashiCorp Inc. at an enterprise value of $6.4 billion, which the tech giant said Wednesday will allow it to cater to clients grappling with the exponential expansion of the cloud.

  • April 24, 2024

    CMA Chair Defends Agency's Interventionist Merger Approach

    The chair of the Competition and Markets Authority has defended the U.K.'s antitrust watchdog's aggressive and interventionist attitude, saying it helps drive the country's "economic growth and productivity."

  • April 24, 2024

    UK Eyes Amazon, Microsoft AI Deals For Merger Probes

    The U.K.'s antitrust watchdog said Wednesday it would look into Amazon's $4 billion investment in U.S.-based artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, and Microsoft Corp.'s deals with two other big AI players, to see if they fall under the country's merger control rules.

  • April 24, 2024

    Toy Developer, Chinese Co. Settle Robot Source Code Suit

    A Pittsburgh-based robot toy designer has settled and dismissed its dispute with a Chinese competitor over the alleged copying of the source code for a toy design acquired from a predecessor, according to federal court filings Tuesday.

  • April 23, 2024

    Small Providers Can't Meet 'Vague' Title II Rules, FCC Hears

    Small broadband providers will need at least a six-month buffer before they have to start complying with certain net neutrality mandates, should the Federal Communications Commission vote to restore open internet rules on Thursday, according to a communications industry trade group.

Expert Analysis

  • McKesson May Change How AKS-Based FCA Claims Are Pled

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    The Second Circuit’s analysis in U.S. v. McKesson, an Anti-Kickback Statute-based False Claims Act case, provides guidance for both relators and defendants parsing scienter-related allegations, say Li Yu at Dicello Levitt, Ellen London at London & Stout, and Erica Hitchings at Whistleblower Law.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Deciding What Comes At The End Of WTO's Digital Tariff Ban

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    Companies that feel empowered by the World Trade Organization’s recent two-year extension of the ban on e-commerce tariffs should pay attention to current negotiations over what comes after the moratorium expires, as these agreements will define standards in international e-commerce for years to come, say Jan Walter, Hannes Sigurgeirsson and Kulsum Gulamhusein at Akin Gump.

  • FTC Noncompete Ban Signals Rising Labor Focus In Antitrust

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    The Federal Trade Commission’s approval this week of a prohibition on noncompete agreements continues antitrust enforcers’ increasing focus on labor, meaning companies must keep employee issues top of mind both in the ordinary course of business and when pursuing transactions, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • Behind Indiana's Broad New Healthcare Transactions Law

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    The high materiality threshold in Indiana's recently passed healthcare transaction law, coupled with the inclusion of private equity in its definition of healthcare entities, makes it one of the broadest state review regulations to date, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Highlights From The 2024 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    U.S. merger enforcement and cartels figured heavily in this year's American Bar Association spring antitrust meeting, where one key takeaway included news that the Federal Trade Commission's anticipated changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino form may be less dramatic than many originally feared, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • What FERC's Disclosure Demands Mean For Cos., Investors

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    Two recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders reflect the commission's increasingly meticulous approach to reviewing corporate structures in applications for approval of proposed consolidations, acquisitions or changes in control — putting the onus on the regulated community to track and comply with ever-more-burdensome disclosure requirements, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Clemson's ACC Exit Fee Suit May Have Major Consequences

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    Clemson University's recent suit in South Carolina state court against the Atlantic Coast Conference, which challenges the ACC's $140 million exit fee and its ownership of member schools' media rights, would likely have enormous ramifications for ACC members in the event of a definitive court ruling, say William Sullivan and Alex Anderson at Pillsbury.

  • FDIC Bank Merger Reviews Could Get More Burdensome

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    Recently proposed changes to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. bank merger review process would expand the agency's administrative processes, impose new evidentiary burdens on parties around competitive effects and other statutory approval factors, and continue the trend of long and unpredictable processing periods, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • Apple Ruling Offers Morsel Of Certainty On Litigation Funding

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    An English court's recent decision in Gutmann v. Apple, finding that a litigation funder could be paid via a damages award, offers a piece of guidance on the permissibility of such agreement terms amid the ongoing uncertainty around funded group litigation in the U.K., says Mohsin Patel at Factor Risk Management.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • 4 Ways AI Tools Can Improve Traditional Merger Analyses

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    Government officials at the American Bar Association's annual antitrust spring meeting last week reinforced the view that competition cases will increasingly rely on sophisticated data analysis, so companies will likewise need to use Big Tech quantitative techniques to improve traditional merger analyses, say Patrick Bajari, Gianmarco Calanchi and Tega Akati-Udi at Keystone.

  • Blocked JetBlue-Spirit Deal Illustrates New Antitrust Approach

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent successful block of a merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines demonstrates antitrust enforcers’ updated and disparate approach to out-of-market benefits versus out-of-market harms, say Lisa Rumin and Anthony Ferrara at McDermott.

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