NCAA vs. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma: A Win for Antitrust Law and College Football Fans
On May 7, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a lower court opinion that denied the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) motion for a preliminary injunction against Microsoft’s acquisition of...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced its annual adjustments to (1) the pre-merger notification thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the HSR Act), (2) the HSR Act filing...more
On August 5, 2024, the United States Department of Justice filed a rare gun jumping civil lawsuit and proposed settlement in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against a global sports and...more
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice possess both overlapping and distinct authority to challenge anti-competitive practices under federal law. The FTC enforces, without limitation, the FTC Act and the...more
The identification, investigation and removal of persons who serve as directors or officers of two competing companies (i.e., “horizontal interlocks”) is a significant component of the Biden Administration’s antitrust...more
The American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section’s annual Spring Meeting concluded on April 12. The annual Spring Meeting featured updates from federal, state and international antitrust enforcers and extensive discussion...more
On December 18, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) (collectively, the “Agencies”) published the long-awaited final 2023 Merger Guidelines. The 2023 Merger Guidelines are informed...more
On December 18, 2023, the U.S. antitrust enforcers, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) (collectively, the “Agencies”), issued their final Merger Guidelines...more
The year 2023 will be remembered as a milestone for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC, and, together with the DOJ, the “Agencies”) in their efforts to expand antitrust enforcement to labor...more
It has been over 40 years since the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has enforced Section 8 of the Clayton Act. Section 8 prohibits interlocking directorates among competing businesses, specifically referring to boards of...more
Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has renewed enforcement efforts against “interlocking directorates” that violate Section 8 of the Clayton Act. This provision prohibits directors and...more
As this year’s roundtable of enforcers demonstrated, big business is probably antitrust enforcers’ greatest fear. Spring in Washington means Cherry blossoms and antitrust. And last week, 3,700 antitrust lawyers and government...more
The presence of private equity (PE) investment has exploded in recent years in all areas of the health care sector. PE in health care is a good thing when done right: It can pave the way for much needed innovation,...more
As part of the Biden Administration’s ongoing efforts to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement and the promotion of competition, on November 10, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a new “Policy Statement Regarding...more
On July 9, 2021, just days into her tenure as Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) Chair, Lina Khan led the Commission’s charge to rescind the agency’s 2015 policy statement (2015 Statement) on its approach to...more
Antitrust compliance programs that are tailored to a company’s culture, line of business, and competitive conditions have long been worth their weight in gold. But as 2022 draws to a close, a looming economic slowdown and an...more
On November 10, 2022, the US Federal Trade Commission issued a new Policy Statement indicating that the current Commission plans to expand its use of Section 5 of the FTC Act. Such an expansion would constitute a significant...more
On November 10, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a new policy statement announcing the agency’s intent to exercise broad enforcement discretion to challenge unfair competition based on the authority granted by...more
The business community was put on notice last week after the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the resignations of seven directors from five corporate boards following what DOJ called the “first in a broader review of...more
Antitrust and tech is in the legal news almost daily, and often multiple times a day. Here are a few recent developments with notable implications that may have flown under the radar: 1) renewed focus on gig economy issues;...more
Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 (Section 8) prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competing corporations, subject to limited exceptions. Specifically, Section 8...more
On June 16, 2022, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) unanimously voted to authorize its examination under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act of anti-competitive behavior of Pharmacy Benefit Managers and other...more
This week, the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law Section kicked off its annual Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, which features updates from the antitrust enforcers and substantive discussions on today’s most pressing...more
The FTC and Antitrust Division held a workshop last week focused on labor issues, which superficially appears to be a continuation of the last Administration's policies. Since 2016 the agencies have warned the business...more
More than 40 years ago, the Supreme Court determined that efficient enforcement of the Sherman Act required a bright-line rule, with very limited exceptions, barring antitrust claims by "indirect purchasers"—end customers who...more