Balto on the Apple e-books case: Skip the (Apple) appetizer and get to the (McWane) main course
The “magic” of Washington can only go so far. Whether it is political consultants trying to create controversy where there is basic consensus, such as in parts of the political campaign, or the earnest effort to create a controversy over the Apple decision, there may be lots of words exchanged and animated discussion by political ... Balto on the Apple e-books case: Skip the (Apple) appetizer and get to the (McWane) main course
Spicy Documents Serve up a Paltry Antitrust Meal
There is always a temptation for antitrust agencies and plaintiffs to center a case around so-called “hot” documents — typically company documents with a snippet or sound-bites extracted, some times out of context. Some practitioners argue that “[h]ot document can be crucial to the outcome of any antitrust matter.” Although “hot” documents can help catch ... Spicy Documents Serve up a Paltry Antitrust Meal
Antitrust Enforcement in Reverse: Getting Efficiencies Backwards
A century ago Congress enacted the Clayton Act, which prohibits acquisitions that may substantially lessen competition. For years, the antitrust enforcement Agencies looked at only one part of the ledger – the potential for price increases. Agencies didn’t take into account the potential efficiencies in cost savings, better products, services, and innovation. One of the major ... Antitrust Enforcement in Reverse: Getting Efficiencies Backwards
Swimming Against the Tide: The FTC’s Misguided Antagonism to Health Care Integration
There is a consensus in America that we need to control health care costs and improve the delivery of health care. After a long debate on health care reform and careful scrutiny of health care markets, there seems to be agreement that the unintegrated, “siloed approach” to health care is inefficient, costly, and contrary to ... Swimming Against the Tide: The FTC’s Misguided Antagonism to Health Care Integration
McWane: Structure Isn’t Enough
The following is the third in a series of guest posts by David Balto about the FTC’s McWane case. A particularly unsettling aspect of the FTC’s case against McWane is the complaint counsel’s heavy (and seemingly exclusive) reliance on structural factors to prove its case. The FTC has little or no direct evidence of price communications and no ... McWane: Structure Isn’t Enough
McWane: Why Have An Administrative Law Judge?
The following is the second in a series of guest posts by David Balto about the FTC’s McWane case. Two modest offices on the first floor of the FTC building are occupied by the FTC Administrative Law Judge and his staff. Of all of the agencies with an ALJ, the FTC’s operation must be the smallest. The ALJ ... McWane: Why Have An Administrative Law Judge?
FTC at a crossroads: The McWane case
The following is the first in a series of guests posts by David Balto about the FTC’s McWane case. Anyone familiar with the antitrust newstream realizes there is a tremendous amount of controversy about the Federal Trade Commission’s administrative litigation process. Unlike the Antitrust Division which fights its litigation battles in Federal Court, the FTC ... FTC at a crossroads: The McWane case
