Antitrust Lawyer Blog

On May 22, the Federal Trade Commission today issued a report entitled “Investigation of Gasoline Price Manipulation and Post-Katrina Gasoline Price Increases.” The report details the results of an intensive, Congressionally-mandated Commission investigation into whether gasoline prices nationwide were “artificially manipulated by reducing refinery capacity or by any other form of market manipulation or price…

On May 22, it was reported that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is putting pressure on senior agency staff to complete their review of the $17.6 billion carve-up of Adelphia Communications Corp. (“Adelphia”) by Comcast Corp. (“Comcast”) and Time Warner Inc. (“Time Warner”). According to sources close to the agency, Martin hopes to receive a draft…

On May 18, the DOJ approved computer chipmaker Applied Materials Inc.’s $303 million purchase of Applied Films Corp. of Longmont, Colo., which makes equipment for manufacturing flat-panel displays and solar cells, without issuing a second request. Andre Barlow

On May 17, the DOJ's Antitrust Division granted early termination to Sprint Nextel's acquisition of UbiquiTel, the exclusive provider of Sprint digital wireless mobility communications network products and services under the Sprint brand name to midsize markets in the Western and Midwestern United States. UbiquiTel and Sprint Nextel announced on April 20th that Sprint Nextel…

On May 16 and May 17, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC) raided approximately 20 contractors over bid-rigging allegations in projects ordered by the Japanese Defense Facilities Administration Agency as well as engineering and construction works at a U.S. military facility in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture in conspiracy with officials of the Defense Facilities Administration Agency.…

On May 16, the European Commission raided 20 gas companies across five countries following suspicions that the targeted firms restricted “access to pipeline and storage facilities” and engaged in certain “concerted practices between incumbents that can be described as market-sharing,” according to an EC spokesperson. Among the companies raided were Germany’s RWF, France’s Gaz de…

On May 15, the DOJ announced that David L. Meyer has been appointed to serve as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of civil enforcement for the Division. Meyer will oversee three of the Division's civil sections. Previously, Meyer served the Antitrust Division as Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Charles F. Rule from…

On May 12, the DOJ's Antitrust Division announced that it reached a settlement agreement with Mittal Steel Company N.V. regarding its offer to acquire Arcelor S.A. The agreement would resolve potential antitrust concerns in the event that the Antitrust Division concludes the combination of Mittal and Arcelor raises anticompetitive concerns. Under the agreement, the DOJ…

On May 12, the DOJ told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that it is necessary to extend the term of certain portions of the Microsoft final judgment by at least two years. The DOJ said that an extension is necessary due to Microsoft's difficulty in improving the technical documentation it provides…

On May 11, the DOJ cleared KLA-Tencor Corp.'s acquisition of ADE Corp. KLA supplies integrated circuit manufacturers with equipment to manage their chip wafer fabrication process while ADE makes technology to detect defects in semiconductor wafers and computer disks. The deal was announced shortly after KLA announced it abandoned plans to buy August Technology Corp.