In this episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, RISE Partner Clay Friedman is joined by colleague Christy Matelis — a member of the firm’s antitrust practice and former Utah assistant attorney general — to unpack what a newly reactivated FTC means for the year ahead.
Clay and Christy discuss the current composition of the three-member, all-Republican Commission following recent changes, the ongoing legal challenges related to former Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter’s termination, as well as Chair Andrew Ferguson’s draft priorities memo signaling continued focus on technology, privacy, and data security.
Christy discusses what enforcement might look like under a second Trump term, including continued focus on health care, pharmaceuticals, and technology, but with a slower pace. She notes a shift on noncompete agreements, with the FTC moving from broad rulemaking to handling cases individually — shown by dropping appeals on the previous ban but starting a new enforcement action. The conversation also covers staffing changes at the agency and what practitioners are seeing on the ground. On the consumer protection front, Clay and Christy break down the FTC-and-states lawsuit against Ticketmaster/Live Nation (bait pricing, ticket limits, and broker coordination) and the $14 million Match.com settlement underscoring clear disclosures and easy cancellation.