Best Practices to Avoid Anticompetitive
Conduct Amid Increasing DOJ Scrutiny
CD of Teleconference with Q&A
Click here for program outline
Conducted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Now available on CD
Sponsored by the Legal Publishing Group of Strafford Publications
Antitrust Teleconference Advisory Board
“The members of a trade association, singly and as a group, are sitting on an antitrust powder keg,” according to one former DOJ Antitrust Division chief.
Because a trade association necessarily involves communications and collaboration among competitors, its activities must be undertaken with extreme care to avoid even the appearance of an anticompetitive purpose or intent.
The recent consent decree between the DOJ and the National Association of Realtors reminds trade associations and their members that regulators have them in their sights. Further, plaintiffs’ lawsuits often attempt to pin liability for the association's activities on the members themselves.
Listen as our authoritative panel of antitrust attorneys examines the antitrust pitfalls for associations and their members, and discusses the lessons learned from recent antitrust action against trade associations, and offers guidance to minimize risk of antitrust violations for the association and for the member.
The panel included:
Christopher E. Ondeck, Partner, Crowell & Moring, Washington, D.C. He focuses his practice on all aspects of antitrust law and has substantial expertise advising clients regarding the application of the antitrust laws to trade associations. His antitrust practice includes defending mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, antitrust litigation, government investigations and antitrust compliance issues.
Erica S. Mintzer, Counsel, Hogan & Hartson, Washington, D.C. She has significant experience counseling clients on a wide range of antitrust issues, including mergers, Robinson-Patman issues, distribution issues, and trade association matters. She also has litigation experience in federal antitrust actions, including federal antitrust administrative litigation before the FTC.
Carl W. Hittinger, Partner, DLA Piper, Philadelphia. He focuses on complex commercial and civil rights litigation with an emphasis on antitrust and unfair competition matters, counseling clients on all aspects of civil and criminal antitrust law. He has represented various trade associations and their members. He also regularly represents corporations in investigations and actions brought by government and regulatory agencies.
The panel reviewed these and other key questions:
- What are the key areas where antitrust violations are most likely?
- What lessons can the associations and their members draw from recent actions involving trade associations?
- What legal theories are being used to attach liability to association members and what can be done to combat them?
- What steps can trade associations and their members take to minimize risk of antitrust liability?
TELECONFERENCE CD
Purchase a CD-ROM of the full conference proceedings, including Q&A and PDF files of all handouts (available 10 days after the program).
- Regular Price - $297 (plus $9.45 S&H)
- With Teleconference Registration – an additional $75 (plus $9.45 S&H)
CLE credit is available for an additional $65 each for attorneys seeking CLE credits for NY or CT.
Other states may grant CLE credits for listening to this CD - check with your state about applying for self-study credit on CD-listening.