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Competition
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January 23, 2025
Intuitive Judge Walks Back 'Inappropriate' Witness Instruction
Counsel for Intuitive Surgical objected Thursday to a California federal judge's "inappropriate instruction" to a witness testifying in a trial over allegations it abused its market power by blocking hospitals from using a refurbished part for its surgery robot, prompting the judge to walk back the direction.
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January 23, 2025
Wash. Justices Back Workers' View On Moonlighting Law
Washington's highest court clarified on Thursday that the state's moonlighting protections shield low-wage workers from noncompete terms that would outright ban them working for any competitor in any capacity, concluding that employers must narrowly tailor such restrictions to be line with employees' common-law duty of loyalty.
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January 23, 2025
GoodRx, PBMs Sued Over Alleged Generics Price-Fix Scheme
GoodRx and pharmacy benefit managers, including CVS Caremark and Express Scripts, formed a "cartel" to execute a price-fixing scheme by sharing pricing information and agreeing not to outbid each other for reimbursement rates paid to pharmacies for generic drugs, alleges a proposed class action filed Wednesday in California federal court.
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January 23, 2025
Jump Trading Says Ex-Worker Stole IP For Blockchain Startup
High-frequency trading firm and blockchain technology developer Jump Trading has filed a complaint seeking a preliminary injunction against a former software developer it claims is using Jump Trading's intellectual property to launch a competing project.
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January 23, 2025
Judge Inclined To OK Visa, Mastercard $197.5M ATM Fee Deal
A D.C. federal judge seemed poised Thursday to give final blessing to a $197.5 million settlement resolving class action claims that Visa and Mastercard conspired with major banks to fix ATM access fees, but the judge said he needed more time to reflect on attorney fees.
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January 23, 2025
GOP AGs, Groups Back 11th Circ. Noncompete Ban Challenge
A group of Republican state attorneys general filed one of a half-dozen amicus briefs Wednesday urging the Eleventh Circuit not to revive the Federal Trade Commission's ban on employment noncompete agreements, arguing the already-endangered rule exceeded FTC authority and threatens legitimate safeguards for corporate secrets.
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January 23, 2025
Ex-Amazon Exec Will Oversee Google, Apple Probe In UK
The U.K.'s competition enforcer said Thursday it will be looking into how Google and Apple's "mobile ecosystems" have been affecting competition for both consumers and businesses, an announcement that comes just days after the watchdog booted its leader for a former Amazon head honcho.
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January 23, 2025
Hillrom Rival Must Turn Over Antitrust Litigation Funding Docs
An Illinois federal court has ordered hospital-bed maker Linet to produce certain litigation funding documents in its antitrust suit accusing competitor Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. of trying to monopolize the U.S. market, ruling the documents are relevant to the statute of limitations in the case.
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January 23, 2025
HP Says Ill. Ink Antitrust Claims Fall 'Woefully Short'
HP urged an Illinois federal judge on Thursday to toss out customers' lawsuit accusing it of anticompetitively blocking them from using third-party ink cartridges in their machines, arguing that they haven't come close to showing how it tied customers' printer purchases to the alleged restriction.
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January 23, 2025
Federal Agencies Must Order Full Return To Office By Friday
Federal agencies will order employees to return to the office by Friday at 5 p.m. to end the "national embarrassment" that remote work policies have fueled, the Office of Personnel Management said, following President Donald Trump's executive order.
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January 23, 2025
NCAA, Student-Athlete Near Deal To End W. Va. Transfer Suit
A West Virginia federal court has ordered an additional two-week pause in an antitrust lawsuit by an NBA hopeful who accused the NCAA of contract interference as the parties seek to finalize a settlement.
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January 23, 2025
FTC Chair's 1st Act: Ending 'Scourge' Of DEI
Andrew N. Ferguson made his first public act as the Federal Trade Commission's new Republican chairman Wednesday by ordering the end of all agency diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and declaring that the "scourge" of DEI is over at the FTC.
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January 23, 2025
Nvidia Wants AI Antitrust Suit Sent To California
Nvidia Corp. is asking a Texas federal judge to transfer to California an antitrust and patent infringement lawsuit accusing it, Microsoft and a patent risk management company of colluding to suppress the price of key technology used in powering artificial intelligence.
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January 23, 2025
Khan Leaving The Federal Trade Commission By Jan. 31
Federal Trade Commission member Lina M. Khan has said she'll leave the agency by the end of the month, stepping down after President Donald Trump's inauguration enshrined her demotion from chair to line commissioner.
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January 23, 2025
Turkey Buyers Get Classes Certified For Antitrust Claims
An Illinois federal court certified two classes of buyers in a case accusing the country's largest turkey processors of working together to reduce supply and increase prices after refusing to exclude analysis from the buyers' experts.
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January 23, 2025
Baker Botts Adds DOJ Atty Who Led Airline Merger Challenge
The former U.S. Department of Justice antitrust attorney who led the agency's successful challenge to a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines has joined Baker Botts LLP as a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C., office.
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January 23, 2025
Litigation-Funder Sues Merricks Over Mastercard Settlement
A representative of more than 45 million U.K. consumers in a class action against Mastercard is being sued by his litigation-funder over his decision to reach a settlement in the £10 billion ($12.3 billion) case for £200 million.
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January 22, 2025
10th Circ. Affirms Toss Of Surgical Assistants' Antitrust Suit
The Tenth Circuit on Tuesday refused to revive an antitrust lawsuit against a national surgical certification board accused of monopolizing a surgical assistants and technicians accreditation and certification market, saying in a published opinion that the Association of Surgical Assistants' failure to establish a relevant market doomed its antitrust claims.
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January 22, 2025
Intuitive Chief Rejects Da Vinci Robot Market Monopoly Claim
Intuitive Surgical's president testified Wednesday in a $140 million California federal antitrust trial over claims the da Vinci surgical robot maker abuses its market power by blocking hospitals from having third parties refurbish a crucial robot component, saying there's no monopoly since Intuitive competes with traditional and laparoscopic surgery offerings.
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January 22, 2025
American, JetBlue Ink $1.9M Atty Fee Deal After Antitrust Loss
A Massachusetts federal judge signed off Tuesday on a settlement requiring American Airlines and JetBlue to cover $1.9 million worth of legal fees that a group of state attorneys general spent successfully challenging the two airlines' Northeast Alliance joint venture as anticompetitive.
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January 22, 2025
Former Pioneer CEO Sues FTC Over Exxon Board Block
The former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, Scott Sheffield, accused the Federal Trade Commission of violating his constitutional rights by barring him from serving on Exxon Mobil Corp.'s board when the agency cleared a $60 billion merger between Exxon and Pioneer.
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January 22, 2025
Fed. Circ. Stays Order Delisting Teva Inhaler Patents
Federal Circuit judges have agreed to hold off on immediately delisting patents that cover components of a Teva asthma inhaler from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orange Book after the Israeli drugmaker said doing so would have "seismic" legal consequences and should be reviewed by the full court.
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January 22, 2025
No New Trial For Tevra's Flea, Tick Meds Suit Against Bayer
A California federal judge refused to give Tevra Brands LLC a do-over on allegations that Bayer used exclusive contracts to anticompetitively lock up the market for flea and tick treatments for dogs, finding the veterinary drugmaker was just rehashing previously rejected arguments attacking a key expert witness.
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January 22, 2025
Wayne-Sanderson Flouting Wage-Fix Settlement, DOJ Says
The Justice Department is accusing poultry giant Wayne-Sanderson Farms of shirking its obligations under a settlement resolving wage-suppression allegations, asking a Maryland federal court to put a freeze on any information sharing by the company through Agri Stats and to impose a multiyear extension on its 10-year consent decree.
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January 22, 2025
Toy Co. Not Covered In Unpaid Judgment Suit, Judge Says
A Berkshire Hathaway insurer has no duty to defend a toy company accused of using legal proceedings to evade payment of an $8.5 million default judgment for false advertising, a Minnesota federal court ruled, finding that abuse of process claims are not covered under the policy.
Expert Analysis
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Antitrust in Retail: Handbag Ruling Won't Go Out Of Fashion
Although a New York federal court’s recent decision to enjoin a proposed $8.5 billion merger between the owners of Michael Kors and Coach applied noncontroversial antitrust interpretations, several notable aspects of the opinion stand out as likely candidates for further discussion in future merger litigation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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Series
Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.
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Takeaways From DOJ's Intervention On Pricing Algorithm Use
A recent U.S. Justice Department amicus brief arguing that a Nevada federal judge wrongly focused on the nonbinding aspect of software company Cendyn Group's pricing algorithm underscores the growing challenge of determining when, if ever, pricing algorithms are legal, say attorneys at Rule Garza.
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Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review
For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Expect More State Scrutiny Of PE In Healthcare M&A
While a California bill that called for increased antitrust scrutiny of many healthcare private equity transactions was recently vetoed by the governor, state legislatures are likely to continue introducing similar laws, particularly if the Trump administration eases federal enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin
In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.
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Navigating 4th Circ.'s Antitrust Burden In Hybrid Relationships
The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to review the Fourth Circuit's Brewbaker decision, a holding that heightens the burden on antitrust prosecutors when the target companies have a hybrid horizontal-vertical relationship, but diverges from other circuits, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Opinion
FTC Actions In Oil Cases Go Against Its Own Rulemaking
Two recent Federal Trade Commission actions concerning the oil and gas industry appear to defy its own merger guidelines, with allegations that fall far short of the commission's own standard — raising serious questions about the agency's current approach, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.
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Series
Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.
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9th Circ.'s High Bar May Limit Keyword Confusion TM Claims
A recent Ninth Circuit ruling that a law firm did not infringe upon a competitor’s trademarks by paying Google to promote its website when users searched for the rival’s name signals that plaintiffs likely can no longer win infringement suits by claiming competitive keyword advertising confuses internet-savvy consumers, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.
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Series
Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer
Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.
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FTC Focus: Zeroing In On Post-Election Labor Markets
The presidential election and the push-and-pull of the administrative state's reach are likely to affect the Federal Trade Commission's focus on labor markets, including the tenor of noncompete rule enforcement, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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OpenAI's Patent Pledge Is Not All It Seems
A recent statement that OpenAI won't assert its own patents is more of an aspiration than an obligation, and should prompt practitioners to think deeply about the underlying legal mechanisms of patent and contract law when determining the effectiveness of similar nonassertion pledges, say attorneys at McDonnell Boehnen.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.
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Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin
Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.