Antitrust Law

Court Allows Whole Foods Deal

A federal appeals court has refused to block Whole Foods Markets’ purchase of Wild Oats Markets. The Federal Trade Commission had sought a stay of a lower court’s ruling while it argues its case on appeal, the Wall Street Journal reports (sub. req.). A federal judge had refused to grant…

Aug 24, 2007 4:22 PM CDT

Whole Foods Deal on Hold

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked Whole Foods’ $565 million purchase of Wild Oats. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a stay yesterday, saying it needed time to consider the merits of a request for an injunction by the Federal Trade Commission, the Wall Street…

Aug 21, 2007 3:58 PM CDT

Judge Won’t Block Whole Foods Deal

A D.C. federal judge has refused to issue an injunction barring Whole Foods from buying competitor Wild Oats for $565 million. Judge Paul Friedman didn’t agree with government claims that the two chains dominated a distinct market for natural and organic foods, a lawyer who read his sealed opinion told…

Aug 17, 2007 12:51 PM CDT

NY Subpoenas Study-Abroad Agencies

The New York Attorney General’s office is investigating whether study-abroad agencies pay cash or other incentives to universities. Lawyer Benjamin Lawsky told the New York Times that the office has issued five subpoenas to study-abroad providers, the first of several to come. The probe follows disclosures that some study-abroad agencies…

Aug 16, 2007 1:38 PM CDT

$81.5 M in Fees Approved

Plaintiffs attorneys were awarded about $81.5 million in attorney fees yesterday following settlement of a case that alleged price fixing of DRAM computer chips. The money will be split among some 40 firms that worked on the case, In Re Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) Litigation, the Recorder reports. The…

Aug 16, 2007 11:54 AM CDT

Whole Foods Hearing to Begin

In a two-day hearing that begins tomorrow, a federal judge will consider whether Whole Foods Market Inc. may gobble up its competitor, Wild Oats Markets Inc. The Federal Trade Commission contends the two grocers will dominate the market for premium organic groceries if the merger proceeds. To defeat the merger,…

Jul 30, 2007 8:14 PM CDT

SG Sees Antitrust Pro-Business Tilt

The nation’s chief advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court says most of the justices are sympathetic to business interests, decidedly so in antitrust cases. U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement said even liberal justices are joining with conservatives to protect corporate antitrust defendants. He spoke at a Philadelphia luncheon sponsored by…

Jul 19, 2007 3:26 PM CDT

SEC Probes Whole Foods CEO’s Posts

Anonymous online posts by the chief executive of Whole Foods Markets have spurred an informal inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. John Mackey used the pseudonym Rahodeb to cheer good financial results at Whole Foods and pillory management decisions by rival Wild…

Jul 16, 2007 6:31 PM CDT

Suit: CEO bashed rival on message board

A document made public yesterday in a government lawsuit reveals that the person posting frequent Internet messages about Whole Foods Market and a major retailing rival was none other than the grocer’s chief executive, John Mackey. Mackey used the pseudonym Rahodeb to cheer good financial results at Whole Foods and…

Jul 12, 2007 5:13 PM CDT

BAR/BRI Settlement Approved

A federal judge has approved a $49 million settlement in a class action suit against a bar review course. But U.S. District Judge Manuel Real refused to approve incentive payments to class representatives and cut requested attorney fees, the Recorder reports. Real said class representatives had a conflict of interest,…

Jul 10, 2007 12:32 PM CDT

Macy’s Wins Antitrust Case

Macy’s has won a suit that claimed it conspired to force high-end tableware suppliers to boycott Bed Bath & Beyond. Federal jurors in California deliberated for only five hours before returning a defense verdict on Monday, the Recorder reports. Price-fixing suits are usually settled before trial because of the risk…

Jul 5, 2007 12:29 PM CDT

Experts See High Prices at High End

Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision generally allowing manufacturers to enforce minimum retail prices isn’t likely to raise prices for common household products, many experts say. Instead the decision is most likely to have an impact on prices for high-end goods, according to the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). The 5-4 ruling…

Jun 29, 2007 3:30 PM CDT

Court Permits Price Agreements

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court has overruled a nearly 100-year-old precedent barring retail price fixing. The court in a 5-4 decision said agreements on minimum prices are legal if they promote competition, according to Associated Press. The majority opinion by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said challenges to vertical price restraints…

Jun 28, 2007 8:20 PM CDT

Complaints Spur Microsoft Vista Change

Microsoft Corp. will change its Vista software to make it easier for users to run Internet searches using Google and other competitors. The action is in response to antitrust complaints filed with state and federal agencies by Google Inc., the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Google had claimed the…

Jun 20, 2007 4:27 PM CDT

Judge Questions BAR/BRI Deal

Incentives that would be paid to class representatives have temporarily derailed a proposed settlement in a suit against a bar review course. U.S. District Judge Manuel Real of Los Angeles expressed concerns about the incentive awards on Monday, the National Law Journal reports. The $49 million deal would give class…

Jun 20, 2007 1:27 PM CDT