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
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
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
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
A recent complaint charges PepsiCo Inc. with several antitrust violations, including price fixing and predatory pricing in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, conspiracy and attempt to monopolize in violation of...more
While hardly ever enforced in modern times by government enforcement agencies, and rarely the subject of antitrust treble damage actions, Sections 2(d) and (e) of the Robinson Patman Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 13(d) and (e)) have had...more
Last week we posted a discussion concerning effective antitrust corporate compliance programs, and provided some factors that in-house counsel should consider in developing compliance programs governing employees’...more