Insights

Washington – December 22, 2022: Global Competition Review recognized Crowell & Moring’s Antitrust & Competition Group in its “GCR 100 2023” – the leading ranking of the world’s competition policy law and economics practices. This year marks the 23rd edition of the awards and the 16th consecutive year that the Antitrust & Competition Group has been recognized.

Washington – February 22, 2019: Crowell & Moring LLP’s Antitrust Group has again been recognized as “Highly Recommended” in Global Competition Review’s (GCR) 19th edition of the “GCR 100” – the leading ranking of the world’s competition policy law and economics practices. This marks the fourth year in a row in which the firm was ranked as “Highly Recommended” in Washington, D.C. and New York. Additionally, the group was ranked as “Recommended” in California. GCR is the leading international journal of competition policy and regulation.

Washington, D.C. – May 5, 2016: Crowell & Moring LLP is proud to announce that Chahira Solh, a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Antitrust Group, has been selected as a member of the 2016 Fellows Program of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), a national organization comprised of the legal profession’s top general counsels and law firm managing partners. Additionally, associates Diana T. Huang and Agustin D. Orozco have been selected to the LCLD’s inaugural Pathfinders class, a program designed to train early-career attorneys in critical career development strategies including programming on leadership and network development.

The FTC announced on September 27 that after a unanimous vote, the Commissioners have decided to launch a study of patent assertion entities (PAEs) and their effect on innovation and competition. The agency has long indicated interest in this issue. The study, which will be conducted pursuant to Section 6(b) of the FTC Act, will allow the FTC to issue compulsory process orders to gather information from PAEs, as well as from other companies that operate in the wireless communications sector.

On July 12, 2010, the California Supreme Court resolved an issue of first impression in Clayworth v. Pfizer, finding that the pass-on defense is not available under California law to defendants accused of price-fixing. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that for private antitrust litigation under California’s Cartwright Act, it is no defense that the plaintiff passed on its damages to its customers. The case has far-reaching effects for defendants in defending against antitrust claims brought under California law. 

Crowell & Moring's California Antitrust Group is noted as "highly recommended" in the state, in a special feature published in Global Competition Review that explores the law firms doing the best antitrust work in California. The article notes that Crowell & Moring's California antitrust practice is "one of the most remarkable in the state… [that] has found its niche splitting its time between defense and plaintiffs matters, leading for major opt-out clients in some of the top antitrust litigation matters in the country."

Over the past year, antitrust has emerged from relative obscurity to enter the political and governmental mainstream. Everyone, from the White House, Congress, and regulatory agencies, to state governments and presidential candidates, has been part of the dialogue. After years of megamergers and increasing consolidation across industries, along with little to no government enforcement of anti-monopolization laws, “antitrust is back, it’s evolving, and it’s at the center of a lot of public discourse,” says Beatrice Nguyen, a partner at Crowell & Moring in San Francisco. “The various discussions that are taking place—and recent actions on the part of federal and state regulators—are creating an evolving landscape in antitrust, and they may point to upcoming fundamental changes in how the antitrust laws are enforced.”

Litigation can be a dirty word for corporate legal departments. However, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel's (ACC-SFBA) session will focus on how affirmative recovery litigation can provide an important revenue stream for a company. Opportunities for recovery can arise out of findings by the U.S. Department of Justice of illegal conspiratorial or anti-competitive conduct. Or a company may find itself in a position where it needs to take on a competitor, customer, or supplier because of egregious behavior. No matter the cause, contemplating litigation to recover or redress a legal issue needs careful assessment, planning, and execution.

Crowell & Moring is a sponsor of the 2016 Retail Law Conference. Connect with like-minded peers at this year's event. Expert speakers from leading retail companies, governmental bodies and select law firms will address these critical industry issues facing retail lawyers:

Join MCCA in Los Angeles on March 12-13, 2014 at the Westin Bonaventure for the 2014 CLE Expo, a conference experience unlike any other offered to the profession. This engaging conference will feature the brightest legal minds discussing the hottest legal topics of the day. Join your peers during fun networking events and revel in the MCCA experience.