Insights

New York – September 14, 2023: Eric S. Aronson, a widely respected trial lawyer with broad experience in trial and appellate courts across the nation, has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group in New York.

Washington – January 11, 2023: Crowell & Moring has published Litigation Forecast 2023: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know for the Coming Year. The 11th-annual Litigation Forecast focuses on trends in litigation that are playing out in specific jurisdictions around the globe. 

In the latest sign that federal enforcers remain focused on increasing antitrust enforcement, last Thursday, the Justice Department (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed an online portal, HealthyCompetition.gov, to encourage the public to submit reports on potential anticompetitive and monopolistic conduct in the healthcare sector.  The initiative seeks to address concerns that such behavior may affect healthcare affordability and quality, and employee wages. 

This week, the Federal Trade Commission announced a massive overhaul of the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act’s rules and instructions for premerger filings to the U.S. antitrust agencies. The proposed rule represents the most significant revisions to the HSR process since its inception in 1976, vastly expanding the scope of information required to be submitted by parties. The proposed rules would impose significant additional substantive and procedural burdens, substantially increase the time and cost to prepare filings, and raise critical strategic questions for filing parties.

On February 16, 2023 the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) hosted a virtual public forum on the agency’s proposed rule that would ban virtually all non-compete agreements between employers and employees, previously reported on here. The forum, which included a discussion by a panel of six individuals who have experience with or have been affected by non-compete agreements, as well as an open public comment opportunity, reflected surprisingly mixed views on whether the FTC’s proposed rule should be adopted.

Washington, D.C.-based attorney Shawn Johnson is featured in Global Competition Review as being recently promoted to partner in the firm's Antitrust Group. Johnson shares, "I am very excited and looking forward to continuing to grow our practice. This promotion offers me an opportunity to develop additional clients and provides me a platform for further growth." Co-chair of the Antitrust Group, Wm. Randolph Smith tells the publication that Johnson's "deep industry knowledge and ability to offer practical solutions will continue to add value to our clients."

Gain insightful knowledge on key cartel risk and compliance issues. Eminent officials from the European Commission and national competition authorities as well as leading private practitioners and in-house counsel will debate practical challenges to help you develop an effective strategy for your business needs and services.