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Dec 17, 2024 | 
velaw.com | Hill Wellford |Darren Tucker |Kara Kuritz |Evan Miller
The DOJ’s concerns with Tencent having two board members serving on Epic’s board may appear counterintuitive. Tencent is a Chinese conglomerate offering a range of mobile apps, video games, and entertainment services. Epic is a U.S.-based video game developer most famous for its game “Fortnite.” Tencent has a minority ownership position in Epic, giving Tencent the ability to appoint two directors on Epic’s board. The DOJ alleged that Tencent, through its U.S.-based subsidiary, Riot Games Inc.
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Dec 17, 2024 | 
jdsupra.com | Hill Wellford
On December 12, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed a lawsuit against Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the largest distributor of wine and spirits in the U.S., alleging that Southern Glazer’s has violated the Robinson-Patman Act (“RPA”) and FTC Act through pricing practices that FTC claims discriminate against small and independent retailers.1 Originally passed in 1936 to protect small grocery businesses from fast growing supermarket chains, the Robinson-Patman Act prohibits...
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Dec 13, 2024 | 
jdsupra.com | Hill Wellford
On December 11, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and Department of Justice Antitrust Division (“DOJ”) jointly issued a statement withdrawing their Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors (the “Collaboration Guidelines,” available via this link). The Collaboration Guidelines were first issued in April 2000 and are a frequently cited authority on navigating competitor collaborations.
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Aug 5, 2024 | 
velaw.com | Hill Wellford |Darren Tucker |Kara Kuritz |Evan Miller
The HSR Act prohibits mergers and acquisitions beyond a certain size (the threshold for 2024 is $119.5 million) from closing before the parties observe a waiting period that allows the antitrust agencies, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the DOJ, to review the deal. For most types of transactions, the waiting period is 30 days, and the waiting period will be extended if one of the agencies initiates an in-depth investigation known as a Second Request.
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Jul 8, 2024 | 
jdsupra.com | Rami Rashmawi |Hill Wellford |Rebecca Baker
As we previously addressed, on April 24, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted to finalize its rule prohibiting businesses from entering into or enforcing non-compete clauses in nearly all agreements with workers (“FTC Rule”). The FTC Rule is scheduled to take effect September 4, 2024. On July 3, 2024, in Ryan, LLC v.
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Sep 26, 2023 | 
jdsupra.com | Milam Foster Newby |Hill Wellford
September 26, 2023
September 27th, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CT
To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog:
September 27th, 2023
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT
This program is available in Vinson & Elkins' Houston, Austin, Dallas, and New York offices. The program is also available via webcast.
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Jul 17, 2023 | 
lexology.com | Darren Tucker |Hill Wellford |Greg Wells |Stephen Medlock |Evan Miller |Rami Rashmawi
This checklist outlines antitrust considerations for the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology. Practices involving AI that could give rise to antitrust risk include algorithmic collusion, exclusionary practices involving AI services, agreements to limit AI development or deployment, self-preferencing on existing services, and mergers and acquisitions involving companies offering AI services.
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Jul 17, 2023 | 
lexology.com | Darren Tucker |Hill Wellford |Stephen Medlock |Evan Miller |Rami Rashmawi |Greg Wells
On June 29, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) Bureau of Competition and Office of Technology published a joint blog post that provided deeper insight into the FTC’s focus on competition in generative artificial intelligence (“AI”). Titled “Generative AI Raises Competition Concerns,” the post outlines the FTC’s views regarding the “essential technical building blocks” of generative AI and potential competition concerns raised by the technology.
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Jun 12, 2023 | 
jdsupra.com | Stephen Medlock |Evan Miller |Hill Wellford
The European Commission (the “EC”) recently adopted new guidelines that outline the antitrust assessment of agreements between competitors related to environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) initiatives, including combating climate change, reducing pollution, limiting the exploitation of natural resources, upholding human rights, ensuring a living income, protecting animal welfare, and reducing food waste.
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Jun 6, 2023 | 
lexology.com | Darren Tucker |Hill Wellford |Evan Miller |Rami Rashmawi
The Luxembourg Competition Authority (“LCA”) announced that it is launching a market study into the “blockchain sector,” particularly the relationship between Web21 companies and Web32 projects. In its press release, the LCA touted the “high potential of the [blockchain] sector,” stating that “it is important to ensure that Web3 players can evolve in a competitive and well-functioning market.” Importantly, this is the first-ever market study focused on competition in the blockchain industry.
