The rapidly evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation is impacting local and global companies, disrupting supply chains, creating volatility in the stock market, and causing great concern in local communities. As part of the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, the
Antitrust Law Blog
Current Antitrust & Competition News & Regulatory Developments
The Antitrust Law Blog, published by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, covers developments and analysis in antitrust and competition law. It addresses regulatory changes, enforcement actions, and legislative updates affecting various industries, including healthcare, technology, and government contracting. The blog discusses federal and state antitrust enforcement trends, merger review processes, algorithmic pricing regulations, and the impact of executive orders on competition policy. It also examines the intersection of antitrust law with regulatory frameworks and policy shifts, providing insights into compliance, litigation, and transactional considerations for businesses and legal practitioners.
Latest from Antitrust Law Blog - Page 13
Higher Filing Thresholds for HSR Act Premerger Notifications and Interlocking Directorates Announced
Higher Thresholds For HSR Filings
On January 28, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission announced revised, higher thresholds for premerger filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. The filing thresholds are revised annually, based on the change in Gross…
Navigating Dangerous Shoals: The Murky but Critical Territorial Boundaries of U.S. Antitrust Jurisdiction
Virtually all significant antitrust cases these days have an international component. Markets now are worldwide. Consequently, one of the most frequently litigated—and most important issues—is the extent of U.S. jurisdiction. Which sales are subject to trebling in a U.S. court?…
Axon Sues FTC Over Use of Administrative Adjudication in Merger Investigations
On January 3, 2020, Axon Enterprises Inc. filed a complaint against the Federal Trade Commission in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona challenging the constitutionality of the FTC’s administrative process. Axon’s complaint marks the latest salvo…
The State of Washington Has Another Arrow in its Healthcare Antitrust Quiver: State Healthcare Antitrust Enforcement in the Spotlight
By Bevin Newman
On May 7, 2019, The Governor of the State of Washington signed into law Substitute House Bill 1607 (“HB 1607”) – a first-of-its-kind premerger notification requirement covering healthcare transactions closing on or after January 1, 2020. HB 1607 is a…
International Arbitration, Investment Protection and EU State Aid Rules: the General Court of the EU Annuls the European Commission’s State Aid Decision in the Micula Case
In a long-awaited ruling of June 18, 2019, the General Court of the European Union (“GCEU”) annulled the European Commission’s 2015 State aid decision in the Micula case (joined cases T-624/15, T-694/15 and T-704/15). The ruling provides valuable clarifications…
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Vitamin C and the Future of U.S. Antitrust Enforcement Against Chinese Companies *
By Leo Caseria, Helen Eckert & Joy Siu
Over the last three decades, government antitrust enforcers and private plaintiffs in the United States have increasingly sought to apply U.S. antitrust laws to conduct by foreign businesses that is deemed to have effects on the U.S. economy. Many of…
Third Circuit Rejects State’s Bid for Attorney’s Fees in Hospital Merger Dispute
On January 23, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (“Third Circuit”) issued an opinion denying the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the right to recover attorney’s fees after it had successfully blocked a hospital merger. The Third Circuit…
Loan Syndication and EU Competition Law
The intricate syndicated loan market has recently triggered attention from competition authorities internationally. Recently, the Spanish competition authority fined €91 million a syndicate of four Spanish banks. The Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP) of the European Commission launched a…
Eleventh Circuit Denies Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Interlocutory Appeal Challenging Application of Per Se Rule In Multidistrict Litigation In Alabama
On December 12, 2018, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied defendants Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s interlocutory appeal of a District Court decision to analyze BCBS’s geographic market distribution system under the per se rule rather than the rule…