Antitrust Lawyer Blog

On June 4, the FTC entered into a settlement to resolve its concerns relating to Rite Aid Corporation’s proposed $3.5 billion acquisition of the Brooks and Eckerd pharmacies from Canada’s Jean Coutu Group (PJC), Inc. Rite Aid and Jean Coutu were required to sell 23 pharmacies to FTC-approved buyers in order to remedy the alleged…

On June 1, the DOJ announced the launch of a report on unilateral conduct laws, the initiation of a project to develop recommendations on substantive merger analysis, and the sixth annual International Competition Network (“ICN”) conference in Moscow took significant steps toward strengthening antitrust convergence. The ICN conference, hosted by Russia’s competition authority, the Federal…

On May 31, the Monsanto Company and Delta & Pine Land Company (“DPL”) were required to divest a significant seed company, multiple cottonseed lines, and other valuable assets in order to proceed with their $1.5 billion merger. Monsanto was also required to change certain license agreements as a condition for proceeding with its acquisition of…

On May 31, the FTC asserts that public agencies can help reduce the incidence and impact of identity theft. The FTC, in a discussion with the Ohio Privacy and Public Records Access Study Committee in Columbus, also affirms that government agencies should limit the amount of information they collect, restrict access to the information, and…

On May 24, FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras participated in the sixth annual International Competition Network (“ICN”) Conference in Moscow, Russia, from May 30-June 1, 2007. Senior government antitrust officials, private sector antitrust experts from around the world, and representatives from intergovernmental organizations met to discuss competition issues. The ICN conference focused on the recent…

On May 23, Bureau of Economics Director Michael A. Salinger described the FTC’s initiatives to protect competitive markets in the production, distribution, and sale of gasoline through the agency’s comprehensive merger program on behalf of the FTC before the U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. Although the FTC does not regulate energy market sectors, the agency…

On May 22, Commissioner William E. Kovacic detailed the FTC’s varied initiatives to protect competitive markets in the production, distribution, and sale of gasoline and other petroleum products before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The petroleum industry plays a crucial role in our…

On May 22, the DOJ filed a civil antitrust lawsuit that required the Daily Gazette Company and MediaNews to undo their transaction and restore the competition that existed before May 2004, alleging that the Daily Gazette Company violated the antitrust laws when it acquired the Daily Mail newspaper from MediaNews. Daily Gazette Company is a…

On May 21, Mr. James D. Dondero, a Texas hedge fund manager, entered a settlement with the DOJ where he agreed to pay $250,000 for alleged charges of violating premerger reporting requirements. According to the complaint, Mr. Dondero acquired stock of Motient Corp. (“Motient”), based in Reston, Virgina, where he served on the board of…

On May 15, the FTC banned Elliot Krasnow from ever promoting or selling franchises or business opportunities ever again. Along with his company Netvertise, Inc, Krasnow returned $160,000 to consumers after the FTC charged that they used bogus earnings claims to lure franchisees into buying their Web services businesses, and failed to tell customers that…