Department of Justice Antitrust Division, FTC Enforcement, Mergers and Acquisitions, Price Fixing, U.S. Department of Justice

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The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Antitrust Division had another active year in antitrust enforcement in 2014. As for FTC antitrust enforcement efforts, FTC Bureau of Competition Director Deborah L. Feinstein was kind enough to provide a list of the “Ten Competition Happenings for 2014” on the agency’s Competition Matters blog. Her list…

International Competition Law

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Last week, the Council gave itself another shot at improving the functioning of the General Court of the European Union (the ‘General Court’). And once again, it failed. Following an already disappointing episode in March 2014,[1] the Council again placed the equality between member states at the top of its priorities, by doubling up the number…

FTC Enforcement, IP Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice

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Antitrust law debates usually emphasize price effects while other elements of competition get less attention.  Three recent writings by leading antitrust thinkers, however, explore the interaction between antitrust law and competition, on the one hand, and innovation, quality and long-term labor markets, respectively, on the other.  As summarized below, each piece discusses an attribute of…

Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Mergers and Acquisitions, Premerger Notification

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The dangers of prematurely exercising operational control over an acquisition target, or at least appearing to operate organizational control, are highlighted by a Department of Justice Antitrust Division action announced yesterday against two particleboard suppliers that recently dropped their planned combination. Just five weeks ago, Flakeboard America Ltd. abandoned its proposed acquisition of rival SierraPine…

International Competition Law, Mergers and Acquisitions

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Two unusual features of the United Kingdom’s merger control regime are that notification is voluntary and there is no ‘suspension’ obligation. This means that mergers can be – and routinely are – completed without notification to and/or approval by the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”). In this article, I examine the CMA’s use of its…

Antitrust Exemptions & Immunity, FTC Enforcement

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On October 14, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC, the latest in its long line of cases interpreting the state action exemption to the antitrust laws.  Dozens of amici have written briefs supporting both parties.  Those briefs reveal significantly different opinions about the costs and…

International Competition Law, Mergers and Acquisitions

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Just over a year ago, I wrote (rather extensively) on the European Commission’s public consultation entitled “Towards more effective EU Merger Control” in which the Commission proposed to (i) expand its powers to review non-controlling minority interests and (ii) streamline the case referral system between the European Commission and NCAs. Our regular readers will note…

FTC Enforcement, Mergers and Acquisitions

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The FTC’s challenge to the now-consummated combination of Phoebe Putney Health System, Inc.—the operator of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital—and rival Palmyra Park Hospital, Inc. in Albany, Georgia, is headed back to administrative litigation. More than a year after announcing a tentative settlement in the case, the FTC has refused to grant final approval to the proposed…

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To continue its growth, the American Antitrust Institute (AAI) is recruiting the next generation of antitrust practitioners. The AAI is seeking the antitrust community’s support of new programs aimed at connecting with this next generation. Antitrust practitioners can help by nominating a young lawyer for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement by a Young Lawyer. The award will be…