Inside Competition

Key takeaways

• Litigation Updates – Courts dismissed antitrust claims involving Hermès Birkin bags, private university pricing, and hotel benchmarking data.
• Criminal Enforcement – Wage-fixing and price-fixing prosecutions continue, with new DOJ leniency rules and whistleblower incentives.
• Regulatory Actions – FTC targets noncompete agreements and deceptive practices in sectors like healthcare, pet cremation, and ticketing.
• Merger Oversight – FTC/DOJ report steady Second Request activity and a rise in billion-dollar deal filings.
• State-Level Scrutiny – Connecticut AG investigates WNBA franchise sale; Google faces mandated data-sharing remedies.

Key takeaways

• Litigation Updates – Courts dismissed antitrust claims involving Hermès Birkin bags, private university pricing, and hotel benchmarking data.
• Criminal Enforcement – Wage-fixing and price-fixing prosecutions continue, with new DOJ leniency rules and whistleblower incentives.
• Regulatory Actions – FTC targets noncompete agreements and deceptive practices in sectors like healthcare, pet cremation, and ticketing.
• Merger Oversight – FTC/DOJ report steady Second Request activity and a rise in billion-dollar deal filings.
• State-Level Scrutiny – Connecticut AG investigates WNBA franchise sale; Google faces mandated data-sharing remedies.

Key takeaways

• Litigation Updates – New archery price-fixing suit filed; hotel pricing conspiracy dismissed; Live Nation case narrowed to primary ticketing; NCAA tennis players granted class certification.
• Criminal Enforcement – DOJ launches Whistleblower Rewards Program offering up to 30% of fines for reporting antitrust violations affecting USPS.
• Regulatory Actions – FTC settles with NextMed over deceptive pricing and fake reviews; “click-to-cancel” rule vacated; noncompete rule appeal paused.
• Merger Oversight – DOJ drops challenge to AmexGBT–CWT merger, clearing path for consolidation in corporate travel services.
• International Developments – Mexico replaces COFECE with new National Antitrust Commission, expanding enforcement powers and lowering merger thresholds.