Emily Townsend
Subscribe to Emily Townsend's PostsCriminalization of Antitrust Law in Europe: Greek Court Imposes Criminal Sanctions on Managers in Cartel Case
By Emily Townsend on Apr 13, 2011
Posted In Cartel Enforcement
by Philipp Werner Following a 2007 cartel decision of the Greek competition authority imposing a total fine of EUR 48.3m on seven companies for information sharing, price fixing and retail price maintenance, a Greek court handed down a criminal judgment yesterday (12 April 2011), imposing fines of 9,000 euros on each of the three managers...
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Brussels Brief – March 10, 2011: European Developments Impacting Dominant, Vertically Integrated Operators – The TeliaSonera Judgment
By Emily Townsend on Mar 10, 2011
Posted In Cartel Enforcement
by Martina Maier, Philipp Werner and David Henry The European Court of Justice recently expanded upon the scope of the law in relation to pricing practices of vertically integrated companies. The ruling impacts dominant, vertically integrated companies active both within and outside regulated markets, such as telecoms. All dominant, vertically integrated undertakings on both sides...
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The Top Five (Avoidable) Antitrust Traps in M&A Transactions
By Emily Townsend on Feb 28, 2011
Posted In DOJ Developments, FTC Developments, Mergers & Acquisitions
by Jon B. Dubrow, Joseph F. Winterscheid and Carla A. R. Hine In M&A transactions, early involvement of antitrust counsel is essential to avoid unnecessary expense, delay and antitrust risks. Failure to involve antitrust counsel early on in the process may not only jeopardize the parties’ ability to obtain antitrust clearance, but it can also...
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First Cartel Fines in China Following New Regulations
By Emily Townsend on Feb 25, 2011
Posted In Cartel Enforcement, Chinese Developments
by Henry L.T. Chen and Frank Schoneveld China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce has imposed the first fines for violation of the country’s Anti-Monopoly Law on a concrete cartel. The swift action indicates business operators should anticipate more widespread and vigorous investigations by the newly empowered Chinese competition regulatory authorities. To read the full article,...
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Coastal Water Freight Transportation Company Pleads Guilty and Pays $45 Million Fine for Price-Fixing
By Emily Townsend on Feb 24, 2011
Posted In Cartel Enforcement
by Nicole L. Castle Today the Department of Justice announced that Horizon Lines LLC agreed to plead guilty and pay a $45 million fine for its involvement in price fixing coastal water freight services between the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. This plea is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing...
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German Federal Cartel Office Launches Sector Enquiry into Food and Luxury Food Retail Market
By Emily Townsend on Feb 11, 2011
Posted In Cartel Enforcement
by Martina Maier and Philipp Werner The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) announced yesterday that it has launched a sector inquiry into food retailers. The FCO will focus its study on foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs without explicitly naming particular goods in its press release but broadly stating that the enquiry will only focus on “selected product...
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Brussels Brief – February, 2011: Parental Liability – Another Piece in the Puzzle
By Emily Townsend on Feb 1, 2011
Posted In EC Developments
by Andrea L. Hamilton and Wilko van Weert A recent Decision of the European Court of Justice shows once more that it is still next to impossible for a parent company to rebut the presumption of liability for its subsidiary’s conduct. Nevertheless, companies with subsidiaries operating in the EU would be well-served to consider reinforcing their...
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Proposed GIPSA Rule
By Emily Townsend on Jan 26, 2011
Posted In Agriculture, DOJ Developments
by Carrie G. Amezcua Earlier this week, The Tribune (Greely, Colorado) published the article below discussing proposed changes to livestock marketing rules. The article discusses the pros and cons of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration proposed rule – commonly referred to as the GIPSA rule. "New rules were mandated by the 2008 Farm...
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Notification Threshold Under Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Increased to $66 million
By Emily Townsend on Jan 25, 2011
Posted In FTC Developments
by Jon B. Dubrow, Joseph F. Winterscheid and Carla A. R. Hine The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced revised thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act) and 2011 thresholds for determining whether parties trigger the prohibition against interlocking directors under Section 8 of the Clayton Act. Increased reporting thresholds apply...
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Antitrust and Agriculture: Summary of DOJ/USDA Workshops and New Article on Capper-Volstead
By Emily Townsend on Jan 14, 2011
Posted In Agriculture, DOJ Developments
by Greg E. Heltzer, Carrie G. Amezcua and Jennifer L. Westbrook The DOJ and USDA just completed a series of five workshops on competition in the agriculture industry. The two agencies have a renewed their focus on competition in this industry and have promised more activity in this area. The highlights from each of the...
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