Crowell & Moring To Host Corporate Development Webinar: "Collaborate, Consolidate Or Die?"

Live Web Event to Address Competition, Antitrust Issues in a World of Reduced Demand

Washington, D.C. – September 14, 2009: The international law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP will host a webinar, titled "Collaborate, Consolidate or Die?" to analyze antitrust issues arising from joint ventures and other competitor collaboration arrangements that are increasingly important in the face of the global economic downturn. The briefing will address antitrust risk management strategies for companies seeking to reduce their operating costs as they look beyond their own assets and infrastructure to consolidate production, distribution, and other functions with their market rivals. The free, live event will be led by attorneys Wm. Randolph Smith and Robert. A. Lipstein, partners and co-chairs of Crowell & Moring’s Antitrust Group, on Tuesday, September 22 at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

"The economic crisis presents challenges, but it can also present opportunities for competitor collaborations that would not arise in other circumstances," said Smith. "We will brief both business leaders and in-house counsel on successful strategies and cautionary tales when exploring such opportunities within R&D, production, and distribution."

Attorneys Smith and Lipstein will discuss how the new realities of reduced demand and excess capacity across industries are affecting strategic business decisions as well as regulatory review of transactions. The agenda includes a specific discussion of numerous efficiency-enhancing scenarios, ranging from production joint ventures, to outsourcing/cross supply arrangements, and to asset swaps, focusing on antitrust implications that each presents. In-house counsel, business unit managers, purchasing executives, and those responsible for strategic planning will benefit from this dialogue.

"Analyzing the competitive landscape in any industry with an eye toward collaboration requires careful examination of overall risk, particularly the regulatory hurdles that can undo even seemingly straightforward deals. It’s critical to understand these considerations at the starting point," said Lipstein.

The webinar will take place on Tuesday, September 22, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT. This Internet-only event is open to the press. Pre-registration is required. 

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with more than 450 lawyers practicing in litigation, antitrust, government contracts, health care, corporate, intellectual property and a variety of other practice areas. More than two-thirds of the firm's attorneys regularly litigate disputes on behalf of domestic and international corporations, start-up businesses, and individuals. Crowell & Moring's extensive client work ranges from advising on one of the world's largest telecommunications mergers to representing governments and corporations on international arbitration matters. Based in Washington, DC, the firm also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Orange County, Anchorage, London, and Brussels.

Contact:

Brooke Welch
(415) 981-1965

bwelch@vpgllp.com