The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sending mixed messages about how aggressively it intends to enforce the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA). During the Biden administration, the agency filed its first two RPA complaints in over...more
A federal court in Massachusetts recently dismissed holistic wellness centers’ price discrimination suit against the manufacturer of body sculpting devices initiated after Plaintiffs withdrew from the manufacturer’s...more
A federal court in California recently rejected federal and state antitrust price discrimination claims brought by several wholesalers of 5-hour Energy drinks, finding that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate competitive...more
A federal court in Illinois granted Juul Labs, Inc. and HS Wholesale, Ltd.’s motion to dismiss Power Buying Dealers USA, Inc.’s claims of price discrimination. Power Buying Dealers USA, Inc. v. Juul Labs, Inc., 2025 WL...more
On May 22, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voluntarily dismissed its case against PepsiCo alleging price discrimination in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act. Federal Trade Commission v. PepsiCo, Inc.,...more
Since the publication of “Rum and Coke: The FTC Targets Soft Drinks and Alcohol in the Revival of Robinson-Patman Act Enforcement–What’s Next?”, new developments have continued to shape the enforcement landscape of the...more
On May 28, 2025, the United States District Court for the Central District of California held that plaintiffs failed to prove that they incurred an antitrust injury flowing from the differential promotional allowances...more
Building upon developing momentum in the courts and among commentators, government enforcers and the private bar have seen recent successes in litigation involving the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA). The FTC in April notched a win...more
The Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) has been generating a lot of buzz, with private lawsuits and high-profile moves by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But two developments last month may signal that the RPA may be slipping back...more
When agency enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) was revived near the end of the Biden administration, it was met with mixed reactions. Given the Republican Commissioners’ disapproval of the complaints, it came as no...more
Companies in a wide range of industries commonly develop incentive programs for vendors, including preferred vendor or loyalty programs, to increase sales or establish loyalty. Acceptance of the terms and conditions of these...more
On April 17, 2025, a federal district court denied a motion to dismiss the first government enforcement action brought in decades under the Robinson-Patman Act (“RPA”), a statute that prohibits price discrimination and other...more
In the days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration, the Biden FTC rushed to initiate major lawsuits and to tie a bow on various antitrust policy efforts. In a series of dissenting statements, the minority Republican...more
This month, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed its much-anticipated lawsuit against Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, LLC (“Southern Glazer’s”), alleging the alcohol distributor violated the Robinson-Patman Act...more
In the waning days of the current administration, the antitrust agencies continue to cross items off their holiday wish list. Since the presidential election in November, the antitrust agencies have filed a new merger...more
On December 12, 2024, following a nearly two-year-long investigation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) initiated its first litigation under the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) in more than two decades. The FTC sued Southern...more
On December 12, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, LLC (Southern) in the Central District of California for alleged price discrimination, initiating the first federal government...more
On May 20, 2024, US District Court Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald rejected a popular over-the-counter eyedrop seller’s bid for a new trial and granted a pricing injunction impacting two large wholesale membership clubs following...more
After decades of dormancy, the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), a Depression-era antitrust statute prohibiting price discrimination, has recently become the subject of renewed interest from both private plaintiffs and government...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has heralded its increased antitrust scrutiny of price discrimination under the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), though little has come of it to date. Yet, our review of trends in private...more
The US Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) reported investigations of Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo. Inc. for price discrimination are a significant step toward the agency’s revival of enforcement under the Robinson-Patman Act...more
Family-owned wholesalers brought a Robinson-Patman claim against the maker of 5-hour Energy alleging discounts given to Costco amounted to illegal price discrimination. A jury in California rejected the claim after a...more
Failure to show antitrust injury proved fatal to price discrimination claims as the Third Circuit affirmed a directed verdict in favor of cement company, Argos USVI, in a case brought by its customer, ready-mix concrete...more
In the latest development in Woodman’s Food Market v. Clorox—the saga between Clorox and Woodman’s that last year generated a landmark Robinson-Patman Act (RP Act) decision by the Seventh Circuit—Clorox is asking the district...more
In a precedent-setting opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Aerotec International, Inc. v. Honeywell International, Inc., No. 14-15562, 2016 WL 4709868 (9th Cir. Sept. 9, 2016), affirmed the summary...more