Do payment guidelines for human egg donors violate antitrust law? Class action moves toward trial

What could prove to be a landmark case in the human fertility field is headed toward trial next year with a broadened group of class plaintiffs. At issue in the Northern District of California case are voluntary standards that many of the nation’s fertility clinics follow concerning payment to women…

Jul 27, 2015 11:55 AM CDT

Federal magistrate awards nearly $46M in legal fees in NCAA athlete-pay case

After a federal district court’s ruling last year that a ban on paying college athletes for using their names and images violates antitrust law, a magistrate judge has awarded nearly $46 million in attorney fees and costs to the lawyers for the plaintiffs. The NCAA had argued that the lawyers…

Jul 14, 2015 3:00 PM CDT

Justice Department is investigating possible collusion by some airlines

A Justice Department spokeswoman has confirmed an investigation into possible “unlawful coordination” by some airlines. Spokeswoman Emily Pierce confirmed the investigation in a statement after the Associated Press broke news of the probe, Reuters and the Associated Press report. According to a document obtained by AP, the civil antitrust probe…

Jul 1, 2015 2:05 PM CDT

2nd Circuit OKs verdict against Apple in $450M e-book price-fixing case

A divided federal appeals court Tuesday upheld a 2013 antitrust verdict against Apple Inc. It centers on the company’s participation in a price-fixing conspiracy concerning e-books, as Apple was promoting its new iPad in 2010. Agreeing with a trial judge that the company conspired with publishers, the New York-based 2nd…

Jun 30, 2015 3:30 PM CDT

LegalZoom files $10.5M antitrust suit against North Carolina bar, cites SCOTUS dental case

LegalZoom is citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on teeth whitening in a $10.5 million antitrust suit against the North Carolina State Bar. The suit (PDF), filed on June 3 in federal court in North Carolina, claims the bar is unreasonably barring LegalZoom from offering a prepaid legal services…

Jun 5, 2015 7:11 AM CDT

2nd Circuit nixes Apple campaign to boot BigLaw partner as court-appointed monitor in e-book case

A federal appeals court has nixed a campaign by Apple Inc. to replace a monitor appointed by a federal judge to oversee the company’s compliance with her orders in e-book antitrust litigation. “This appeal touches upon the scope of a district court’s power under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53…

May 28, 2015 2:20 PM CDT

Five banks agree to pay $5.6B for conspiring to manipulate currency and interest rates

Five large banks have agreed to pay $5.6 billion to resolve an antitrust investigation into manipulation of currency prices and interest rates. Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland will plead guilty to antitrust violations for conspiring to manipulate the prices of U.S. dollars and euros, report…

May 20, 2015 10:07 AM CDT

State bars may be affected by SCOTUS antitrust case; public interest groups want review by state AGs

Public interest groups are pointing to state bars as an example of state licensing boards that could be affected by a February decision by the U.S. Supreme Court involving a state dental board and state-action antitrust immunity. The three groups are asking state attorneys general to consider whether state licensing…

May 12, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Google is accused by European Union of violating antitrust laws

The European Union has accused Google of violating antitrust laws by favoring its own products in Internet searches. At a news conference on Wednesday, European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the concern is that Google abuses its dominance to favor its comparison shopping service, Google Shopping, the Wall Street…

Apr 15, 2015 10:13 AM CDT

Online art seller agrees to guilty plea in justice’s first e-commerce price-fixing prosecution

An agreement in an online price-fixing case is the Justice Department’s first criminal prosecution against an alleged antitrust conspiracy specifically targeting e-commerce. David Topkins agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing and to pay a fine of $20,000, according to a Justice Department press release. Publications with stories include the Recorder…

Apr 7, 2015 9:45 AM CDT

Chicago Cubs face a variety of lawsuits over Wrigley Field

Apr 1, 2015 4:30 AM CDT

Should cloned horse be registered as quarter horse? Horse breeder seeks rehearing in antitrust suit

Breeders of a cloned horse are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision, tossing their suit seeking to register the clone with the American Quarter Horse Association. Texas horse breeder Jason Abraham and veterinarian Gregg Veneklasen had claimed the association violated antitrust laws when it refused to register…

Mar 17, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

SCOTUS smiles on nondentist teeth whiteners, allows antitrust action against dentistry board

A North Carolina dental regulatory board made up mostly of dentists doesn’t have state-action immunity in an antitrust action, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The 6-3 decision (PDF) allows a Federal Trade Commission challenge to the board’s clampdown on teeth whitening by nondentists. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the…

Feb 25, 2015 11:33 AM CST

American Express merchant policies are anti-competitive, judge rules

A federal judge in Brooklyn has ruled that American Express violated antitrust laws by barring merchants from encouraging customers to pay with other lower-cost credit cards. Judge Nicholas Garaufis ruled against American Express on Thursday in a suit filed in 2010 by the U.S. Justice Department and 17 states, report…

Feb 20, 2015 7:44 AM CST

Federal judge nixes TRO on new Chicago Cubs signs sought by rooftop seating companies

A federal judge has declined to issue an injunction on behalf of operators of rooftop bleachers on buildings adjacent to Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Several contended in a lawsuit filed last month against the team owners and chairman Thomas Ricketts that their renovation of Wrigley Field and purchase of other nearby…

Feb 19, 2015 12:20 PM CST