On January 13, 2012, the FTC issued proposed amendments to Parts 2 and 4 of its Rules of Practice (“Rules”). Written comments must be received by March 23, 2012.
Continue reading "FTC to Revise Investigatory Rules, Attorney Disciplinary Rules" »
In an initial decision issued on January 5, 2012, FTC Chief Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell ordered ProMedica Health System Inc to divest recently-acquired St. Luke’s Hospital to an FTC-approved buyer within 180 days after the order becomes final. See http://www.ftc.gov/os/adjpro/d9346/120105promedicadecision.pdf
Continue reading "Promedica Health System Ordered to Divest St. Luke's Hospital" »
In June 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “the Commission”) authorized the staff to conduct an investigation to determine whether Church & Dwight was using exclusionary practices such as conditioning discounts or rebates to retailers on the percentage of shelf or display space dedicated to Trojan brand condoms and “other products” sold and distributed by Church & Dwight.
Continue reading "D.C. Circuit Gives FTC Broad Discovery Rights " »
On November 21, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) settled allegations of violations of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 45 (“FTC Act”) against Pool Corporation (“PoolCorp”). PoolCorp and the FTC reached a proposed consent agreement resolving charges that PoolCorp used exclusionary acts and practices to maintain its monopoly power in the pool product distribution market in violation of Section 5.
Continue reading "FTC Settles With Pool Supplier Regarding Exclusive Dealing Practices" »
On June 6, 2011, the US District Court for the District of Columbia denied defendant H&R Block’s motion to transfer venue. The district court ruled that H&R Block failed to meet their burden to show that a transfer of this case to the Western District of Missouri is warranted in the interests of justice.
Continue reading "Local Price Cutting Keeps Merger Case in DC" »
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 encourages health care providers to form integrated organizations to jointly offer services in order to reduce costs and improve the quality of health care in the United States. Section 3022 of the Act provides for the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”) to serve fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries through Medicare’s Shared Savings Program (“SSP”). ACOs must sign up with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to participate in the program for at least three years.
Continue reading "Accountable Care Organizations: Dilemma or Opportunity" »
On June 1, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) entered into a consent agreement with Grifols, S.A. (“Grifols”), a Spain based manufacturer of plasma-derived drugs requiring Grifols to make significant divestitures as part of a settlement allowing Grifols to acquire a leading plasma-derived drug manufacturer, Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp. The antitrust review took approximately a year as the deal was announced on June 6, 2010. The transaction was worth approximately $3.4 billion. The settlement resolves FTC charges that Grifols’ proposed acquisition of Talecris would be anticompetitive and would violate federal antitrust laws.
On February 22, 2011, Judge Andrew J. Guilford of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) motion for a preliminary injunction and also dissolved the temporary restraining order that had been in place since mid-December. The district court ruled that the FTC had not shown that it was likely to succeed on the merits of its case.
Continue reading "FTC Loses Consummated Merger Case In District Court" »
On February 24, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission put into effect the revised thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act, which requires premerger notification for certain large transactions. Federal law requires that the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice be notified of mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions of a certain size prior to consummation pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR.)
Continue reading "FTC Revises HSR Thresholds" »
On January 6, 2011 the Federal Trade Commission challenged the consummated acquisition of rival St. Luke’s Hospital (“St. Luke’s”) in Lucas County, Ohio by ProMedica Health System, Inc. (“ProMedica”).
Continue reading "FTC Challenges Consummated Acquisition of St. Luke’s by ProMedica" »
On December 1, 2010, in a 4-1 vote, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) authorized the filing of an administrative complaint, alleging that Laboratory Corporation of America’s (“LabCorp”) consummated acquisition of Westcliff Medical Laboratories (“Westcliff”) would harm competition in Southern California. In his dissenting statement, Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch criticized the definition of the relevant product market in the complaint but he noted that he agreed that Commission action was warranted.
Continue reading "Consummated LabCorp Deal Challenged By FTC" »
On October 28, 2010, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the State of Minnesota, Plaintiffs to the FTC v. Lundbeck, Inc. and Minnesota v. Lundbeck, Inc. filed a Joint Notice of Appeal at the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, from the August 31, 2010 judgment denying an injunction against Lundbeck's 2006 acquisition of Neoprofen, which allegedly competed with Lundbeck's Indocin for the treatment of a congenital heart defect in premature infants.
Continue reading "FTC and Minnesota Appeal the Lundbeck Decision" »
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) lost its challenge to Ovation Pharmaceutical Inc.’s (“Ovation Pharmaceutical” now Lundbeck Inc.) acquisition of the pediatric heart drugs Indocin and NeoProfen. While the FTC claimed that the combination was a merger to monopoly resulting in anticompetitive price increases, the Federal District Court in Minnesota decided that Lundbeck (formerly “Ovation Pharmaceutical”) did not violate federal or state antitrust laws when it combined Indocin IV and NeoProfen, the only two FDA-approved drugs for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (“PDA”). The primary reason for Judge Joan N. Erikson’s decision was that she did not believe that the FTC established that the drugs were in the same product market. FTC v. Lundbeck, Inc., No. 08-6379 and Minnesota v. Lundbeck, Inc., No. 08-6381 (D. Minn. August 31, 2010).
Continue reading "FTC Loses Merger Trial Because Of Market Definition" »
On September 27, the FTC approved Coca-Cola Company’s $12.3 billion acquisition of the North American operations of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., its largest North American bottler. When the agreement was announced, Coca-Cola already owned about 34 percent of Coca-Cola Enterprises. To resolve antitrust concerns raised by the acquisition, Coca-Cola agreed to restrict its access to confidential competitive business information of rival Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which also distributes Dr Pepper Snapple carbonated soft drinks.
Continue reading "FTC Approves Coca-Cola's Acquisition of its Largest North American Bottler" »
The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") continues its emphasis on investigating and challenging small consummated transactions that were not initially reviewed. Corporate executives that enter into deals that raise competitive concerns must be aware that deals that appear to be done may not be. This is the case, even if the deal is not reportable under the Hart-Scott-Rodino rules.
Continue reading "No Deal is Ever Done" »
On September 9, 2010, The FTC entered into a settlement agreement with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. regarding its proposed takeover of Airgas, Inc. The settlement will require the company to sell certain liquid gas assets if it proceeds with its proposed hostile takeover of Airgas.
On April 29, 2010, a panel of three judges at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals gave hope to the opponents of pay-for-delay settlements, when the Court’s decision invited plaintiffs-appellants of Arkansas Carpenters Health and Welfare Fund v. Bayer AG to petition for an en banc rehearing of the case. On September 7, 2010, however, the Court denied Appellants’ petition without providing any reasoning.
Continue reading "Second Circuit Punts on Pay for Delay Settlements" »
On August 19, 2010, the FTC and the DOJ issued the 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines, which are available on the FTC’s website at http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/08/100819hmg.pdf. The five-step analytical process outlined in the 1992 Horizontal Merger Guidelines—market definition, competitive effects, entry, efficiencies, and failing firm defense—has been replaced with a more flexible approach to competitive effects analysis. That being said, each individual element still continues to play a role in the revised merger review process.
Continue reading "FTC and DOJ Issue Merger Guidelines" »
On August 4, 2010, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) entered into a settlement agreement with Intel Corp. resolving its administrative lawsuit alleging that Intel had abused its monopoly position in microprocessor chips to harm competition.
Continue reading "FTC Settles with Intel" »
On July 28, 2010, the FTC entered into a settlement agreement with Australian based Nufarm Limited (“Nufarm”) regarding its March 5, 2008 acquisition of all of the shares of United Kingdom-based A.H. Marks Holding Limited (“A.H. Marks”).
On June 14, 2010, Federal Trade Commission Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, gave a speech to the American Medical Association in Chicago amid ongoing tension between the two groups with respect to antitrust regulation in the medical industry. In an effort to address the AMA’s concerns, and to bolster a more productive relationship between the organizations, Leibowitz offered an explanation of the FTC’s position on antitrust in the medical arena as well as some promising options for the future of healthcare regulation.
Continue reading "FTC Chairman Offers Olive Branch, Options to AMA" »
On December 23, 2009, Agrium Inc. agreed to sell a range of assets as part of an agreement with the FTC that will allow Agrium to move forward with its acquisition of competitor CF Industries Holdings, Inc. The proposed consent order settles allegations that the acquisition would have eliminated competition in the market for anhydrous ammonia fertilizer, a product that farmers rely on to grow their crops.
Continue reading "FTC Approves Agrium's Purchase of CF" »
On December 16, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") filed an administrative complaint against Intel Corporation ("Intel") alleging that it has engaged in anticompetitive and unfair conduct in order to stifle competition and maintain its monopoly position.
Continue reading "FTC Sues Intel " »
On December 2, 2009, the FTC announced an order settling charges that Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s acquisition of Robin Hood Holdings Limited, owner of Arrow Pharmaceuticals, would have harmed consumers by eliminating future competition for important generic drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease (cabergoline) and the side effects of chemotherapy (dronabinol).
Continue reading "Watson’s Acquisition of Arrow Requires Settlement" »
On November 25, 2009, the FTC announced that it approved SCI's acquisition of Palm Mortuary, Inc. ("Palm") as long as it sold a cemetery and funeral home in Las Vegas.
Continue reading "FTC Allows SCI’s Acquisition of Palm Mortuary With Divestitures" »
On November 2, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released an opinion stating that the Realcomp II (“Realcomp”), a real estate multiple listing service (“MLS”) serving southeast Michigan, took part in anticompetitive practices by restricting some of its members access to its database.
On October 28, 2009, the FTC approved Schering-Plough's $41.1 billion acquisition of Merck, on the condition that certain divestitures were made.
Continue reading "FTC ALLOWS SCHERING-PLOUGH TO ACQUIRE MERCK" »
On October 13, 2009, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) settled with AT&T Inc. (“AT&T”) regarding its $944 million acquisition of Centennial Communications Corp. (“Centennial”).
Continue reading "DOJ REQUIRES DIVESTITURES IN AT&T’S ACQUISITION OF CENTENNIAL " »
On October 7, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) settled its litigation regarding Carilion Clinic's (“Carilion”) acquisition of two outpatient clinics.
On September 25, 2009, the FTC settled with K+S Aktiengesellschaft (“K+S”) regarding its $1.68 billion proposed acquisition of Morton International, Inc. (“Morton”).
The proposed merger would have combined K+S’s subsidiary, International Salt Company LLC (“ISCO”) with Morton. According to the FTC, the combined company would have enjoyed a 70% market share of the bulk de-icing salt market in Maine and Connecticut. There is no practical substitute for de-icing salt and it is unlikely that other salt providers would enter the markets. The transaction could have substantially increased the prices of de-icing salt.
Continue reading "FTC SETTLES WITH K+S REGARDING ITS ACQUISITION OF MORTON INTERNATIONAL" »
On September 22, the Department of Justice ("DOJ") and the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") announced that they will solicit public comment and hold joint public workshops to explore the possibility of updating the Horizontal Merger Guidelines that are used by both agencies to evaluate the potential competitive effects of mergers and acquisitions.
Continue reading "U.S. ANTITRUST AGENCIES TO EXPLORE CHANGES TO HORIZONTAL MERGER GUIDELINES" »
On September 4, the FTC filed comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") Notice of Inquiry regarding development of a National Broadband Plan that will seek to ensure that every American has access to broadband capability. In its comments, the FTC states that the FCC should take into consideration the FTC’s two primary missions – promoting competition and protecting consumers in the marketplace.
On August 3, the Federal Trade Commission said it will continue to investigate the relationship between the boards of Apple, Inc. and Google, Inc. even after Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt, resigned from Apple's board earlier in the day.
On July 29, Thoratec reported that it had been informed by the FTC that the FTC would challenge its $282 million acquisition of Heartware. The parties decided to abandon the merger two days later.
Continue reading "FTC READY TO CHALLENGE THORATEC’S PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF HEARTWARE" »
On July 24, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission issued an administrative complaint challenging Carilion Clinic’s August 2008 acquisition of two outpatient clinics in the Roanoke, Virginia, area. Prior to the acquisition, the Center for Advanced Imaging ("CAI") and the Center for Surgical Excellence ("CSE") had strong reputations for offering high-quality care and convenient services at prices much lower than Carilion’s.
Continue reading "FTC CHALLENGES CONSUMMATED ACQUISITIONS" »
On July 6, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) modified a 2004 consent order against Aspen Technology, Inc. (“Aspen Tech”).
On May 31, 2002, Aspen Tech consummated a $106.1 million acquisition of Hyprotech, Ltd., its closest competitor in developing and supplying certain specialized engineering
process simulation software products, according to the FTC. In August 2003, the FTC challenged the acquisition stating that the transaction would violate antitrust statutes and lessen competition in several U.S. software markets. In July 2004, Aspen Tech, through an FTC consent order, was required to divest software assets to Honeywell International, Inc. (“Honeywell”).
On June 4, 2009, Alta Bates Medical Group, Inc. ("Alta Bates"), a 600-physician independent practice association serving the Berkeley and Oakland, California, area, agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated the antitrust laws by fixing prices charged to health care insurers. The proposed consent order agreed to by the doctor group and the FTC prohibits Alta Bates from collectively negotiating fee-for-service reimbursements and engaging in related anticompetitive conduct.
Continue reading "FTC SETTLES PRICE FIXING CHARGES AGAINST DOCTOR GROUP" »
On May 27, the Federal Trade Commission filed an administrative complaint o block CSL Limited’s proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corporation. The administrative complaint alleges that the deal would be illegal and would substantially reduce competition in the U.S. markets for four plasma-derivative protein therapies – Immune globulin (Ig), Albumin, Rho-D, and Alpha-1. These therapies are used to treat patients suffering from illnesses such as primary immunodeficiency diseases, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, alpha-1 antitrypsin disease, and hemolytic disease of the newborn.
Continue reading "FTC AUTHORIZES SUIT TO BLOCK CSL’s PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF TALECRIS" »
On May 3,2004, the Department of Justice's ("DOJ") Antitrust Division, at the request of the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC"), filed two civil suits against alleged violators of pre-merger notification filing requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino ("HSR") Act of 1976. The HSR Act imposes notification and waiting period requirements on individuals and companies over a certain size before they can consummate acquisitions of stock or assets valued at more than $50 million. The purpose of the HSR Act is to provide federal antitrust enforcement agencies an opportunity to investigate proposed transactions and determine whether the transactions would violate the antitrust laws. If the reviewing agency determines that a transaction violates the antitrust laws, it may seek to block that transaction before the waiting period expires. Therefore, the antitrust agencies take HSR violations very seriously, even ones where no competition overlaps exist. Indeed, a party is subject to a maximum civil penalty of $11,000 a day for each day it is in violation of the HSR Act.
Continue reading "HSR RULES MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY" »
On May 5, it was reported by various news sources that the Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation into whether an overlap of directors on the boards of Apple Inc. and Google Inc. violates the antitrust laws,
Continue reading "FTC INVESTIGATING GOOGLE, APPLE" »
On April 2, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) required BASF, a world leading chemical company based in Germany, to divest assets related to two high performance pigments of Ciba Holding Inc (“Ciba”) in order for BASF’s proposed $5.1 billion acquisition of Ciba to proceed after the statutory public comment period of 30 days. It issued a consent order that would significantly reduce remedy the anticompetitive impact of the proposed transaction in the bismuth vanadate and indanthrone blue (two high-performance pigments) markets.
Continue reading "FTC BLOCKS BASF/CIBA $5.1 BILLION MERGER" »
On April 1, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that Acting Director of the Bureau of Competition, David P. Wales would step down in May. Mr. Wales joined the FTC as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition in April 2006 and took on his current role in August 2008. He has led the FTC’s Bureau of Competition in bringing more than 20 enforcement actions. Wales directed several litigated enforcement efforts that blocked proposed mergers in CCS/Newpark Environmental Services, Oldcastle/Pavestone, and CCC/Mitchell.
Robert Doyle
(202) 589-1834
rdoyle@dbmlawgroup.com
On March 26, 2009, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company ("BMS") agreed to pay a fine of $2.1 million for failing to inform the Federal Trade Commission of oral agreements reached with Apotex, Inc., regarding potential generic competition to its drug Plavix. BMS’s conduct violated a 2003 FTC Order and the Medicare Modernization Act, which requires that certain patent lawsuit settlment agreements be accurately reported to both the Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"). The complaint alleges that BMS failed to disclose that, as part of a patent settlement in which Apotex agreed not to launch its generic version of Plavix for several years, BMS also orally said that it would not compete with Apotex during the first 180 days after Apotex entered with its new generic drug.
On March 6, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) ordered Whole Foods Market, Inc. (“Whole Foods”) to divest 32 Wild Oats Markets, Inc. (“Wild Oats”) stores and related assets, which will restore competition in 17 markets.
Whole Foods is the largest premium natural and organic supermarket chain in the United States and Wild Oats is its closest competitor.
Continue reading "FTC INTERVENES IN WHOLE FOODS’ ACQUISITION OF WILD OATS" »
On March 4, 2009, the National Association of Music Merchants (“NAMM”) agreed to a Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) consent order settling charges of NAMM’s conduct that enhanced members’ ability to increase prices of musical instruments.
NAMM is a trade association of U.S. manufacturers, distributors, and dealers of musical instruments. As a trade association, its purpose is to facilitate promotion of consumer demand for musical instruments by lobbying the government, offering seminars, promoting music education, and organizing trade shows.
On February 26, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) intervened in Lubrizol Corporation’s (“Lubrizol”) 2007 acquisition of oxidate assets from its rival The Lockhart Company (“Lockhart”).
On February 7, 2007, Lubrizol signed an asset purchase agreement with Lockhart to purchase Lockhart’s oxidate assets. Oxidate assets are chemical additives that are used to make rust preventives. This asset purchase agreement violated the FTC Act and the Clayton Act by significantly lessening competition in the oxidates market
Continue reading "FTC INTERVENES IN LUBRIZOL’S ASSET ACQUISITION IN 2007 FROM RIVAL LOCKHART" »
On February 26, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) intervened in Lubrizol Corporation’s (“Lubrizol”) 2007 acquisition of oxidate assets from its rival The Lockhart Company (“Lockhart”).
Continue reading "FTC INTERVENES IN LUBRIZOL’S ASSET ACQUISITION IN 2007 FROM RIVAL LOCKHART" »
On January 29, 2009, Getinge AB (“Getinge”) settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) in order for its $865 million acquisition of rival Datascope Corporation (“Datascope”) to proceed. The FTC believed that the proposed acquisition violated federal antitrust laws. Datascope is required to divest its endoscopic vessel harvesting (“EVH”) product line to an FTC approved buyer within 10 days of the acquisition date.
Continue reading "FTC INTERVENES IN GENTINGE’S $865 MILLION ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DATASCOPE" »
On January 23, 2009, Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) in order for its $18.8 million acquisition of rival Rohm & Haas Company (“R&H”) to proceed. Dow agreed to sell a range of assets to an FTC approved buyer and put in place mechanisms to ensure Dow will not have access to competitively sensitive non-public information regarding any businesses the new buyer acquires from Rohm & Haas.
Continue reading "FTC INTERVENES IN DOW’S $18.8 MILLION ACQUISITION OF RIVAL ROHM & HAAS" »
On January 14, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed a suit to block the proposed $540 million assets and interest acquisition of Pavestone Co. (“Pavestone”) by rival Oldcastle Architectural, Inc. (“Oldcastle”) because it would reduce competition in the manufacture and sale of drycast concrete hardscapes.
Continue reading "FTC BLOCKS OLDCASTLE ARCHITECTURAL’S ACQUISITION OF RIVAL PAVESTONE" »
On December 29, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) required a divestiture to resolve antitrust concerns with King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s (“King”) $1.6 billion acquisition of Alpharma, Inc. (“Alpharma”). To remedy the situation, the FTC is requiring King to divest Alpharma’s brand Kadian, an oral long-acting opioid (“LAO”) analgesic drug, to Actavis, one of the world’s largest generic drug companies, no later than 10 days of King’s acquisition of Alpharma. According to the FTC, King’s own brand of an oral LAO drug, Avinza, is a close substitute to Kadian for many customers.
Continue reading "FTC ORDERS DIVESTITURE IN KING PHARMACEUTICAL’S ACQUISITION OF RIVAL ALPHARMA" »
On November 25, 2008, the FTC moved to block a merger between CCC Information Systems Inc (“CCC”), a subsidiary of CCC Holdings Inc., and Mitchell International Inc (“Mitchell”), owned by Aurora Equity Fund III LP.
On October 23, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) challenged CCS Corporation’s (“CCS”) proposed $85 billion acquisition of Newpark Environmental Services (“Newpark”), a division of Newpark Resources, Inc.
On September 2, 2008, Marian R. Bruno, the Associate Director of Management and Operations in the Federal Trade Comission’s (“FTC”) Bureau of Competition (“Bureau”), was named the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition. Norman Armstrong, Deputy Assistant Director of the Bureau’s Mergers IV Division, has been named Acting Deputy Director. They join Kenneth Glazer, the Senior Deputy Director of the Bureau.
On August 13, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) ordered Sun Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd (“Sun”) to sell all rights and assets of three distinct generic formulations of the anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine to Torrent Pharmaceutical Ltd, a generic drug company based in India, for its acquisition of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (“Taro”) to proceed.
On August 7, 2008, William E. Kovacic, the Federal Trade Commission Chairman, announced that Jeffery Schmidt, the Director of the Bureau of Competition for the past two and half years, will be leaving the FTC. Mr. Kovacic has named David P. Wales, the deputy director of the Bureau of Competition, as the Acting Director.
Continue reading "BUREAU OF COMPETITION DIRECTOR JEFFERY SCHMIDT TO LEAVE FTC" »
On July 30, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) entered into a settlement agreement that allows McCormick & Company Inc.’s (“McCormick”) proposed $605 million acquisition of Lawry’s and Adolph's brands of seasoned salt products from Unilever N.V. (“Unilever”) to proceed. According to the FTC’s complaint, McCormick’s Season-All brand competes with Lawry’s brands in the manufacture and sale of branded seasoned salt products in the United States. The complaint indicates that these companies have strong brand followings and that even a five to ten percent increase in prices would not cause consumers to switch brands. As a result of the proposed transaction, the FTC believes that McCormick will control 80% of the market for branded seasoned salts and the company would have the ability to unilaterally increase prices on either brand to the detriment of consumers.
On July 17, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a complaint challenging the proposed $9 billion acquisition of V&S Vin & Sprit (“V&S”), a wholly owned corporation of the Kingdom of Sweden, by Pernod Ricard (“Pernod”), a wholly owned subsidiary of France-based Pernod. The FTC contends that the transaction is anticompetitive and violates U.S. antitrust laws.
Continue reading "FTC CHALLENGES PERNOD RICARD'S PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF V&S VIN & SPRIT" »
On July 14, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced the launch of a new online resource, the FTC Guide to the Antitrust Laws. This resource, written in layman’s terms summarizes the core laws that ban unfair business practices and prevent mergers that harm consumers, and explains how antitrust cases are brought by U.S., State, and international authorities, as well as private parties. Antitrust rules are categorized into four sections: Dealings with Competitors, Dealings in the Supply Chain, Single Farm Conduct, and Mergers.
Continue reading "FTC LAUNCHES ITS FTC GUIDE TO THE ANTITRUST LAWS" »
On June 30, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), in a 4-0 vote, issued a complaint against the proposed acquisition of INEOS Group Limited (“INEOS”) by Carlyle Partners IV (“Carlyle”). INEOS is the third largest sodium silicate producer and seller in the highly concentrated Midwest region of the United States. PQ Corporation (“PQ”), owned by Carlyle Partners IV, is the largest sodium silicate producer. According to the FTC, the proposed transaction is anticompetitive and in violation of antitrust laws. In the complaint, the FTC contends that PQ has 50 percent of the sodium silicate market while INEOS has 12 percent. Because there is not a close substitute of sodium silicate, which has high transportation costs, other products will not constrain pricing.
On June 6, 2008, Inova Health System Foundation (“INOVA”) withdrew its offer to acquire Prince William Health System (“PWHS”) after determining that the FTC’s lawsuit to block the deal would not be resolved for a very long period of time.
On May 16, 2008, in a unanimous opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a 2006 Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) decision that found the North Texas Specialty Physicians (“NTSP”), based in Fort Worth, TX, participated in horizontal price fixing activities.
On May 6, 2008 the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) modified its previous order in 2000 prohibiting Nine West Group, Inc. from fixing retail prices with dealers. The FTC modified the order by granting Nine West permission to engage in resale price maintenance (RPM) with a caveat that the company would have to provide periodic reports detailing the effects of these agreements on competition in the industry.
On May 5, 2008, in 4-0 vote, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) entered into a settlement agreement that allowed Agrium, Inc. to buy UAP Holding Corporation (“UAP”) for $2.5 billion, making UAP a wholly owned subsidiary of Agrium.
Agrium is required to sell five UAP farm stores in Michigan and two Agrium stores in Maryland and Virginia within 180 days of the acquisition. The order requires the divestiture of Agrium’s store in Keller, VA, and that it is sold as a unit with Agrium’s Pocomoke/Girdletree, Maryland store, because the store in Virginia supplies the store in the Maryland region. The order also contains an Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets that requires the companies to maintain the assets to be divested pending their sale and provides for the appointment of an interim monitor to oversee the assets to be sold in the relevant markets.
Continue reading "FTC ENTERS INTO SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IN A MERGER WITHOUT A SECOND REQUEST" »
On April 28, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued its final order and opinion enabling the lost competition between Chicago-based Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Corporation (“ENH”) and Highland Park Hospital.
On April 28, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) entered into a settlement agreement with TALX Corporation regarding its acquisitions of various unemployment compensation management (“UCM”) and verification of income and employment (“VOIE”) services. UCM consists of administering, on behalf of large, multi-state employers, unemployment compensation claims filed with a state or territory. VOIE consists of providing income and employment information on behalf of employers to third parties, such as lending institutions.
On March 31, 2008, William E. Kovacic assumed the role of Chairman at the Federal Trade Commission. Mr. Kovacic had served as a Commissioner since January 2006 before his nomination by President Bush and eventual confirmation by the Senate.
Continue reading "WILLIAM E. KOVACIC ASSUMES NEW ROLE AS CHAIRMAN OF FTC" »
