Edward Schwartz

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Stronger antitrust enforcement on non-compete agreements may be on the horizon

The Biden administration’s extensive Executive Order (EO) Promoting Competition in the American Economy encourages federal agencies to restrict the “unfair use” of non-compete clauses (and similar restrictive agreements) that “may unfairly limit worker mobility.” While the EO doesn’t signal any immediate changes to current non-compete agreement or U.S. antitrust laws, we could expect added scrutiny … Continue Reading

Supreme Court decision weakens FTC’s enforcement authority

On April 22, 2021, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that § 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act does not permit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to seek, or a court to award, equitable monetary relief (e.g., restitution or disgorgement). This decision denies the FTC one of its most important enforcement tools, one … Continue Reading

Is a robust compliance plan enough to ensure a discount from fines for anticompetitive activity?

In certain jurisdictions, having a tailored and comprehensive compliance programme in place may reduce the size of a fine resulting from anticompetitive activity. Members from across our global competition team have come together to analyse the approaches of key jurisdictions and whether they offer discounts for businesses that have breached competition rules but have a … Continue Reading

Changes in California could see significant impact on the price of prescription drugs

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed an Executive Order to allow state agencies to join together and negotiate the purchase of prescription drugs. This measure could significantly reduce the cost of drugs and therefore will most certainly impact pharmaceutical manufacturers, managed care companies, pharmacies and other industry participants, as well as prescription drug consumers. For … Continue Reading

Will President Trump’s new AG mean change for antitrust enforcement?

Antitrust enforcement may be becoming an increasingly politicized issue, however, most policies are fairly consistent from administration to administration and, consequently, from one Attorney General to the next. Replacing Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, William P. Barr was recently appointed by the Senate to serve as Attorney General. Having previously served as Attorney General under President … Continue Reading

DOJ identifies potential antitrust risks associated with “no-poach” agreements

Recently, the DOJ has shined a spotlight on the potential antitrust risks associated with employers’ use of “no-poach” agreements, in which companies agree not to hire or solicit each other’s employees. Interestingly, in February of this year, the DOJ filed Statements of Interest in several civil antitrust cases brought against franchisors, taking the position that … Continue Reading
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