One of the most common questions clients have after a merger or acquisition has been signed is, “When can we start on combining the operations and doing business?” And one of the most challenging pieces of counseling is to...more
December has been a busy and banner month for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Following its successful suit to block the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, the FTC issued two significant announcements: (1) the withdrawal...more
This week, Judge Ada E. Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Ryan v. The Federal Trade Commission upheld a challenge by business groups to the FTC’s non-compete ban. In addition to confirming...more
8/22/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
FTC Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
Mark your calendars for July 3—the date we will likely learn whether a Texas Court will enjoin the FTC Rule banning non-competes from taking effect on September 4. This week, Judge Ada Brown, the presiding judge in Ryan, LLC...more
5/9/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
To date, three lawsuits have been filed challenging the legality of the FTC’s Final Rule banning non-competes. The initial two cases were filed in Texas federal court, which is widely viewed as a more hospitable forum for...more
5/1/2024
/ Chamber of Commerce ,
Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) conducted a special Open Commission Meeting to vote on a Final Rule (the “Rule”) banning most non-compete clauses as an “unfair method of competition.” By a vote of 3-2,...more
4/25/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
Earlier this week, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released the long-awaited 2023 Merger Guidelines. The final guidelines are the result of nearly two years of behind-the-scenes...more
On January 10, 2023 Politico reported that the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has launched antitrust investigations into Pepsi and Coca Cola. According to the article, the “companies’ pricing strategies are being...more
Fresh off the significant buzz from the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) January 5, 2023 announcement of its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“NPRM”) setting forth a ban on all non-compete clauses between employers and...more
1/11/2023
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Comment Period ,
Competition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
NPRM ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unfair Competition
On October 19, 2022, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a press release heralding the resignation of seven directors from ten companies’ boards of directors in response to the government’s...more
11/3/2022
/ Acquisition Agreements ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Bright-Line Rule ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Interlocking Directorate ,
Section 8 ,
Sherman Act ,
Spinoffs ,
The Clayton Act
In the government’s ongoing efforts to increase antitrust enforcement, Assistant Attorney General (“AAG”) Jonathan Kanter, head of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (“DOJ”), opened up another front for clients to...more
In March of this year, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) jointly announced a series of “listening forums” that would help gather real world input from...more
In March of this year the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) jointly announced a series of “listening forums” that would help gather real world input from...more
5/10/2022
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Horizontal Mergers ,
Hospital Mergers ,
Merger Controls ,
Regulatory Agenda
In March of this year the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) jointly announced a series of “listening forums” that would help gather real world input from...more
5/10/2022
/ Agribusiness ,
Agricultural Land ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Dairy Farmers ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Farms ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Supply ,
Meat Processing Plants ,
Merger Controls ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Retail Market