Tuesday, January 18th, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division (“DOJ”) launched a joint public inquiry regarding the agencies’ horizontal and vertical merger guidelines. As part of this inquiry, the agencies are soliciting public comment via a Request for Information (“RFI”) on a wide range of topics that could lead
Antitrust
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE VOTING ON ANTITRUST LEGISLATION
By Nicholas Xenakis on
Posted in Antitrust, Congressional Action
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee announced this week its plan to vote on the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S. 2292), antitrust legislation that would impose obligations on certain online platforms regarding the treatment of their own goods and services relative to competing services on their platform. This will be the third antitrust bill…
The Future of COFECE: Mexico’s Independent, Anti-Trust Body at an Inflection Point
- President López Obrador has been a strong critic of independent regulators, including the anti-trust (COFECE) and telecommunications (IFT) regulators.
- COFECE is at an inflection point with a leadership transition this month while it continues to be under pressure from the López Obrador administration.
- Eliminating or reducing the autonomy of these bodies will undermine free market
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The French Competition Authority gives its views on the competition issues arising from Fintech
By Johan Ysewyn on
Back in 2020, the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) had announced, in its annual priorities, its interest in the competition implications of the digital revolution in the financial sector, notably in the context of the growth of FinTech, the introduction of blockchain technology and the emergence of “digital giants” in payment services. Shortly after this announcement,
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The European Commission publishes the results of its evaluation of the horizontal block exemption regulations and guidelines
By Rolf Ali & Johan Ysewyn on
The Commission launched the Evaluation in 2019 to assess the future relevance of the HBERs and the Horizontal Guidelines, since their adoption in 2011 and 2012. It gathered a variety of evidence on the functioning of the HBERs, which included:…
Continue Reading The European Commission publishes the results of its evaluation of the horizontal block exemption regulations and guidelines
Goldman Sachs v Commission: The CJEU further expands the parental liability doctrine — private equity businesses and investors tread carefully
By Johan Ysewyn & Kevin Coates on
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2020 Competition Law Developments – Reviewing a Notable Year and Looking Ahead to 2021
By Covington Team on
Posted in Antitrust, Competition
Competition law appears to be at an inflection point. Over the past year, authorities, policy makers, and commentators across the globe have debated whether current laws and enforcement approaches are appropriately calibrated or whether they should be changed, including to try to protect interests that go well beyond the consumer welfare standard that has been
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Expansion of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force
By Ross Demain, Michael Pierce & Michael Wagner on
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The French Competition Authority’s first merger prohibition
By Johan Ysewyn on
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The European Commission launches an antitrust sector inquiry into the sector of Internet of Things for consumer-related devices and services
By Kevin Coates & Johan Ysewyn on
On 16 July 2020, the European Commission (“Commission”) announced that it has launched an antitrust sector inquiry into “consumer-related products and services that are connected to a network and can be controlled at a distance, for example via a voice assistant or mobile device.”
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