Our Curious Amalgam

In March 2022, the U.S. DOJ made headlines with the announcement it is considering bringing criminal monopolization cases under Section 2 of the Sherman Act for the first time in nearly fifty years. But is there any precedent that can help us understand what criminal prosecution of monopolization conduct would look like? Tiffany Rider and James Hunsberger of Axinn join John Roberti and Jaclyn Phillips to walk us through the decades-old case law and lay out the challenges DOJ might face trying to bring these cases under the modern antitrust framework. Listen to this episode to learn about whether the past can tell us anything about what DOJ will do in the future. With special guests: Tiffany Rider, Partner, Axinn and James Hunsberger, Counsel, Axinn Related Link: Axinn Antitrust Insight: DOJ Officials Raise Specter of Criminal Monopolization Prosecutions  Hosted by: John Roberti, Partner, Cohen & Gresser and Jaclyn Phillips, Associate, White & Case LLP

Labor market competition is one of the hottest issues in antitrust right now. Are workers being underpaid? Yes, says Treasury Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Neil Mehrotra, who joins Anant Raut and Alicia Downey to discuss the startling findings of Treasury's investigation into labor market competition. Listen to this episode to learn what we've misunderstood about labor market power, why workers are getting paid less than they should, and President Biden's long history combating this issue. With special guest: Neil Mehrotra, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Macroeconomics in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Economic Policy Related Link: Investigation into labor market competition Hosted by: Anant Raut and Alicia Downey The episode is "Honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month" with Indian-American host Anant Raut and guest Neil Mehrotra.

Tumultuous political change, including the rise of populism, has been one of the key trends of the past decade. How do the shifting political winds affect antitrust, the largely technocratic domain some consider to be apolitical? University of Warsaw Professor Maciej Bernatt joins Christina Ma and Sergei Zaslavsky to discuss the interrelationship between rising autocracy and populism in Central Europe (and other parts of the world) and competition policy and enforcement. Listen to this episode to learn how political change in Poland and Hungary has affected the antitrust world, and what lessons antitrust enforcers and practitioners can draw from this experience. With special guest: Maciej Bernatt, University of Warsaw Related Link: Maciej Bernatt's book, Antitrust and Populism (enter the code BERNATT22 at checkout for a 20% discount)  Hosted by: Sergei Zaslavsky and Christina Ma

In recent years, efforts by state attorneys general to enforce the antitrust laws have been in the news far more than in the past, as state AGs have taken the lead in challenging no poach agreements and pursuing cutting edge theories in prosecutions of Big Tech companies. How and why are the states making competition an enforcement priority? In this episode, hosts Melissa Maxman and Alicia Downey talk with Milton Marquis, an antitrust practitioner with decades of experience representing clients in state investigations and enforcement proceedings. Listen to this episode to learn about the current enforcement scene and sectors of interest to state enforcers. With special guest: Milton A. Marquis, Partner, Cozen O'Connor Hosted by: Melissa Maxman, Partner, Cohen & Gresser and Alicia Downey, Downey Law LLC

The Spring Meeting brings together thousands of antitrust practitioners and enforcers and this year was no exception. What did the attendees have to say? Alicia Downey and Anora Wang speak with Advocate John Simpson, Tribunal Member of South Africa’s National Consumer Tribunal, Brenda Gisela Hernández Ramírez, Acting Chair of COFECE (Mexico), and Ricardo Riesco, Head of Fiscalía Nacional Económica (Chile), on their agencies' priorities for the year and advice for practitioners. Listen to this episode to hear from these international enforcers "live" from the Spring Meeting. With special guests: Advocate John Simpson, Tribunal Member, National Consumer Tribunal of South Africa, Brenda Gisela Hernández Ramírez, Acting Chair of COFECE (Mexico), and Ricardo Riesco, Head of Fiscalía Nacional Económica (Chile) Related Links: National Consumer Tribunal (South Africa) Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica/COFECE (Mexico) Fiscalía Nacional Económica (Chile)  Hosted by: Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter and Alicia Downey, Downey Law LLC

The Spring Meeting brings together thousands of antitrust practitioners and enforcers and this year was no exception. What did the attendees have to say? Anant Raut and Anora Wang speak with Olivier Guersent, Director General of Competition at the European Commission and Martin Coleman, Panel Chair and Panel Inquiry Chair of the UK Competition and Markets Authority, on their priorities for the year and advice for practitioners. Listen to this episode to hear from these international enforcers "live" from the Spring Meeting. With special guests: Olivier Guersent, Director General, European Commission Competition and Martin Coleman, Panel Chair and Panel Inquiry Chair, Competition and Markets Authority Hosted by: Anant Raut and Anora Wang

Jury bias is an important issue that should be understood and considered by all trial teams, including for antitrust cases. How and when should antitrust attorneys begin to address issues of bias? Jury experts Christina Ouska and Johanna Hillard of JuryScope join John Roberti and Jaclyn Phillips to explain to us what we mean when we talk about jury bias, when trial teams should start thinking about jury bias, and what attorneys can do about it. Listen to this important episode to start to understand this big topic and learn strategies to deal with bias from the early stages of your case. With special guests: Johanna Hillard, President, JuryScope and Christina Ouska, Senior Trial Consultant, JuryScope Hosted by: Jaclyn Phillips, White & Case and John Roberti, Cohen & Gresser LLP

Justice Breyer will retire at the end of this SCOTUS term after nearly 28 years on the bench. How did Justice Breyer approach antitrust? Eric Citron, Partner at Goldstein & Russell and former clerk for Justices O'Connor and Kagan, joins Christina Ma and Jaclyn Phillips to talk about Justice Breyer's antitrust jurisprudence and what we might expect when a new Justice joins the Court. With special guest: Eric Citron, Partner, Goldstein & Russell Hosted by: Christina Ma, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Jaclyn Phillips, Associate, White & Case LLP

Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was created to protect the personal data of individuals and to simplify the regulatory environment for data protection in Europe. As a regulatory scheme that has served as a model for other jurisdictions developing their own data protection and data privacy laws, is the GDPR living up to its intended purposes? Adam Penman of McGuireWoods London joins Kayla Odom and Matthew Hall to reflect on the GDPR's impact on organizations and to discuss the trends relating to the rights afforded to individuals by the GDPR. Listen in for a look at the key developments in the data protection and data privacy landscape upon the GDPR’s fourth anniversary. Related Links: #33 Can I Just Disappear? The Privacy Right to Be Forgotten. #89 What’s the Deal with Data Portability? Understanding the Competition and Privacy Aspects Surrounding the Movement of Data. Hosted by: Kayla Odom, Freitas & Weinberg LLP and and Matthew Hall, McGuireWoods

For decades the FTC relied on its adjudicatory authority, applying its expertise on a case-by-case basis in administrative litigation, but now, FTC leadership seems to be shifting away from litigation to “legislative-style” rulemaking. What does that mean in practical terms? In this episode, co-hosts Jana Seidl and Alicia Downey speak with Adam White, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and co-director of George Mason University’s Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State, about what FTC rulemaking looks like and what we can expect. Listen to this episode to learn more about how FTC rulemaking started, how it evolved, recent changes to the process, and where the FTC may be headed with rulemaking. Related Links: FTC - Statement of Regulatory Priorities (Dec. 10. 2021) Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy (July 9, 2021) FTC - A Brief Overview of the Federal Trade Commission's Investigative, Law Enforcement, and Rulemaking Authority (May 2021) Hosted by: Jana Seidl, Baker Botts LLP and Alicia Downey, Downey Law LLC