Leo Caseria is chair of the firm’s antitrust and competition practice group and a partner in the Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles offices. His practice focuses on antitrust law and complex commercial litigation, in both state and federal courts. He has represented global companies in connection with a wide variety of antitrust matters, including matters involving alleged exclusionary conduct, price-fixing, and international cartels, as well as matters involving the intersection of antitrust and intellectual property. He has frequently defended companies in class actions and multidistrict litigation. He is also knowledgeable regarding the enforceability of class action waivers, and has authored articles and counseled on the inclusion of class action waivers in arbitration agreements. Leo Caseria has also represented companies in connection with antitrust investigations by the United States Department of Justice. He has represented clients including Samsung, Philip Morris and Live Nation in connection with major antitrust matters.
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DOJ Announces Mergers & Acquisitions Safe Harbor Policy* The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last week the advent of a new safe harbor for companies that discover wrongdoing by the acquired business in the course of an M&A transaction. Buyers hoping to take advantage of this (...)
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Treasury Department Recommends Antitrust Reform in Alcohol Markets* On February 9, the Treasury Department issued a report analyzing competition in the US alcohol industry (defined as beer, wine, and spirits), which outlined several proposed reforms aimed at improving competition in the (...)
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Back to the “Good Old Days”: FTC Announces Return to Prior Merger Approval Regime* FTC announces that its merger enforcement orders will once again require prior approval before the subject firm can make a future acquisition affecting any relevant market for which a violation was alleged. (...)
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FTC, Under Pressure from “Tidal Wave” of HSR Filings, To Begin Issuing Close-At-Your-Own-Risk Letters* Many have been wondering when FTC and DOJ will resume granting early termination of the HSR waiting period in deals that present no anticompetitive concerns. Early termination does not (...)
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HSR Filing Fees For Large Acquisitions May Be Increased* On May 13th, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved and sent on to the full Senate the “Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021.” The Bill, sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Chuck Grassley, and approved with bipartisan (...)
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Lower Filing Thresholds for HSR Act Premerger Notifications and Interlocking Directorates Announced* Lower Thresholds For HSR Filings On February 1st, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission announced revised, lower thresholds for premerger filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust (...)
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Tell Me More – Antitrust Agencies to Demand More Information from Investment Funds* The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the premerger notification rules (the “Rules”) that implement the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of (...)
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DOJ Antitrust Division Releases New Merger Remedies Manual* On September 3, 2020, the DOJ’s Antitrust Division released its Merger Remedies Manual. The manual provides important guidance on what DOJ considers to be adequate solutions to addressing competitive issues in M&A deals (...)
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In response to COVID-19, the FTC’s Premerger Notification Office (PNO) just announced several changes for all Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) filings going forward. While these changes have been described as temporary, no specific end date has been identified. Hard copy HSR filings will no longer be (...)
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Maximum Civil Penalties for HSR Violations to Increase to $40,000 per Day* For parties considering a merger or other transaction, the civil penalties for failing to comply with the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“HSR Act”) are about to increase significantly.On June 29, (...)
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Higher Filing Thresholds for HSR Act Premerger Notifications and Interlocking Directorates Announced* 1. Higher Thresholds For HSR Filings On January 21, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission announced revised, higher thresholds for premerger filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust (...)
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SD3 v. Black & Decker (U.S.), Inc. – District Judge Axes Complaint Alleging Table Saw Safety Standards Conspiracy* The pen may be mightier than the sword, but not necessarily mightier than the table saw. On July 15, 2014, in SD3 v. Black & Decker (U.S.), Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv-191 (...)
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Wal-Mart v. Dukes: Implications For Antitrust Class Actions* On June 20, 2011, the United States Supreme Court decided Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, No. 10-277, holding that 1.5 million female Wal-Mart employees around the nation could not bring discrimination claims under Title VII of the (...)
