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Federal Circuit Reaffirms Deferential OCI Standard

Client Alert | 1 min read | 05.06.09

The Federal Circuit in Axiom Resource Mgmt., Inc. v. U.S. (May 4, 2009) reversed the CFC decision granting a protest on the basis of an organization conflict of interest ("OCI"), and, in doing so, reaffirmed that, when the CFC reviews an OCI determination by a CO, including, in this case, the adequacy of a mitigation plan, it must apply the deferential "arbitrary and capricious" standard of the Administrative Procedure Act. In addition, the appellate court criticized the CFC for accepting litigation affidavits and relying on them when there was no need to supplement the administrative record, along the way casting doubt on the vitality of the Esch factors commonly used by the CFC in deciding whether to supplement an agency record in a bid protest case.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 09.10.26

European Commission Publishes Landmark Guidelines on Exclusionary Abuses by Dominant Companies

On 3 September 2026, the European Commission adopted new Guidelines on the application of Article 102 TFEU to abusive exclusionary conduct by dominant undertakings. The Guidelines follow a public consultation on a draft published in August 2024 and reflect substantial stakeholder feedback. They replace the Commission's 2008 Guidance on enforcement priorities (which ceases to apply 30 days after publication of the new guidelines in the Official Journal) and represent the most significant reset of the Commission's Article 102 enforcement framework in nearly two decades. The Commission's stated aim is to set out principles and operational guidance, enhance legal certainty, and help companies self-assess their exclusionary-abuse risk....