Hot Topics in Antitrust: What Counsel and Companies Should be Aware Of

Event Details

The attorneys of Arnall Golden Gregory’s Litigation Practice Group and Antitrust Litigation Practice Team held a complimentary Litigation Series webinar on Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST.

AGG partners Allen I. Hirsch and Jeffrey S. Jacobovitz discussed the following key topics during the one hour presentation:

I. Overview

• A brief synopsis of the relevant statutes:
  
  
  
  • Sherman §1 
  
  
  • Sherman §2 
  
  
  • Clayton §3 
  
  
  • Clayton §7 ‘
  
  
  • Robinson Patman 
  
  
  •  FTC A


• The Applicable Test
  
  
  
  • Per Se vs. Rule of Reason

II. Criminal Cartel Cases

• Increasing DOJ Enforcement 
  
  
  
  • Significant increase in jail sentences and fines over the last ten years 
  
  
  • Significant increase in international cartel cases and cooperation with international authorities


• Fines 
  
  
  
  • What does this mean for companies 


• Jail Sentences 
  
  
  
  • What does this mean for officers of companies 


• Bid Rigging/Price Fixing 


• As in-house counsel, what to look for 


• How to Prevent These Cases 


• What to do if a Search Warrant is being executed

III. Mergers & Acquisitions 

• Clayton §7 – “Substantial Likelihood of Lessening Competition” 


• DOJ/FTC Guideline – Current Climate for Merger Review 


• Pre-Merger Conduct / “Gun Jumping” 
  
  
  
  • HSR – Filing Requirements / Market Definition

IV. Resale Price Maintenance

• Pre-Leegin – The Days of Per Se Analysis 


• Leegin – The Case that Changed It All 


• Post Leegin – Confusing and Controversial

V. Health Care Enforcement 

• DOJ/FTC Guidelines 
  
  
  
  • How do they impact on enforcement 


• Provider Networks and Joint Ventures 


• Professional Association Activity


• What are the risks in participation 


• Hospital Issues 


• Hatch-Waxman Act 
  
  
  
  • Streamlined procedure for obtaining FDA approval of generic pharmaceuticals 


• Settlements 
  
  
  
  • FTC and DOJ have challenged settlements as being anticompetitive; 
  
  
  • “reverse payments” or “pay for delay” agreements 


• How to Avoid Government Scrutiny on a Settlement

VI. Intellectual Property 

• Patent Antitrust Issues 
  
  
  
  • Recent enforcement cases 
  
  
  • Causes of action under Section 2


• Patent Misuse 
  
  
  
  • Does the patent holder have to forfeit its right to enforce the patent 


• Licensing of IP Rights 
  
  
  
  • Are license agreements contracts within the scope of Section 1 


• Non-patent IP issues 
  
  
  
  • Copyrights and trademarks 
  
  
  • Antitrust counterclaims 


• Areas of Exposure for In-House Counsel in the IP Area