Antitrust Lawyer Blog

On July 12, 2006 the European Commission (EC) imposed a fine of

On July 11, Smith & Nephew’s Endoscopy division acquired San Antonio-based OsteoBiologics Inc. Smith & Nephew officials say they will pay $72.3 million in cash for OBI, which is a private company. OBI sells bioabsorbable bone graft substitutes in Europe to repair cartilage defects in the knee, and offers the substances in the United States…

On July 10, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division announced that the third in a series of planned joint public hearings designed to examine the antitrust implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust laws will take place on July 18, 2006, in Washington, DC. As previously announced, these public hearings…

On July 7, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) challenged Hologic Inc.’s 2005 purchase of Fischer Imaging Corporation’s breast cancer screening and diagnosis business. Hologic closed its $32 million transaction without reporting it to the FTC because Hologic’s acquisition of Fischer’s assets was not reportable under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification Act (“HSR Act”), as it was…

On July 7, the Federal Trade Commission announced its decision to challenge Hologic Inc.’s 2005 purchase of the breast cancer screening and diagnosis business of Fischer Imaging Corporation. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that Hologic’s acquisition of Fischer’s prone stereotactic breast biopsy systems (“SBBSs”) business harmed American consumers by eliminating its only significant competitor…

An operation that sold bogus college financial aid services was permanently banned on July 6 from selling academic goods or services for repeatedly violating court orders. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) originally charged that the defendants promised better college financial aid packages than someone could find on their own, which they did not deliver.Settlement of…

The Federal Trade Commission staff took action earlier this week to increase compliance with the Contact Lens Rule by sellers of non-corrective, decorative/cosmetic contact lenses. In 2003, Congress enacted the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act, which imposed new prescription release and verification requirements on prescribers and sellers of contact lenses. In July 2004, the…

On June 28, the European Commission (“EC”) announced new guidelines that would increase fines for antitrust violations. This decision is part of an effort by the EC to more severely punish cartel leaders, repeat offenders, and companies whose large financial reserves made a mockery of the old antitrust fine scheme. The new guidelines, which will…

The Federal Trade Commission today called on social networking sites to make sure children visiting their sites can stay safe and their parents can protect them. Testifying for the FTC, Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour told the House Committee on Energy and Commerce,Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation that there is a “need for social networking Web…

European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson has launched a review of the Commission’s anti-dumping measures.The review comes at a time when concerns have been raised that the Commission’s anti-dumping measures do not always serve the interests of EU companies and consumers. Examples of this include quotas on Chinese textiles and anti-dumping tariffs imposed on Chinese-manufactured…