Senate Judiciary Announces Wireless Competition Hearing

With Sprint making overtures to a merger with T-Mobile, the Senate antitrust subcommittee will be holding a hearing next Wednesday entitled “An Examination of Competition in the Wireless Market.”  The witness list features:

• Eric Graham, SVP of Strategic Relations, Cellular South
• Randal Milch, EVP and GC, Verizon
• Jonathan Spalter, Chairman, Mobile Future
• Thomas Sugrue, SVP of Govt Affairs, T-Mobile USA
• Matthew Wood, Policy Director, Free Press

Additional details may be found here.

posted by Anant Raut

Feb. 20 Panel: “Congress’ Antitrust Agenda in 2014”

This Thursday, February 20th, at noon, the Legislative Committee will be hosting a teleconference to discuss Congress’ antitrust agenda for the coming year.  Our featured panelists will be:

• Caroline Holland, General Counsel and Staff Director, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, U.S. Senate
• Bryson Bachman, Chief Minority Counsel, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, U.S. Senate
• Anthony Grossi, Counsel, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, U.S. House of Representatives
• James Park, Chief Minority Counsel, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, U.S. House of Representatives

Full details of the program may be found here.  Listeners will have a chance to interact with our panelists via telephone as well as over Twitter (@anantitrust).

posted by Anant Raut

This Week in Congress

Tuesday, Nov. 12th
Senate Commerce:  Executive Session

On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee will meet to vote on the nomination of Terrell McSweeny, Chief Counsel for Competition Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs to the Assistant Attorney General (Antitrust Division), as the next Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission.  Ms. McSweeny is expected to be voted out of committee, though no timetable has been set on her confirmation by the full Senate.

S-216 @5:40 P.M.

 

Wednesday, Nov. 13th
Senate Judiciary: “The Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013”

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law will hold a hearing on the Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013.  Scheduled to appear are:

Panel I

• Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

Panel II

• Hon. Robert Litt, General Counsel, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Brad Wiegmann, DAAG, US DOJ (National Security Division)

Panel III

• Richard Salgado, Google, Inc.
• Kevin Bankston, Center for Democracy and Technology
• Paul Rosenzweig, Red Branch Consulting

Dirksen 226 @ 10:00am

 

Thursday, Nov. 14th
Senate Judiciary:  “Cartel Prosecution:  Stopping Price Fixers and Protecting Consumers”

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights will hold a hearing on prosecuting price fixing cartels.  Scheduled to appear are:

• Hon. William Baer, AAG, US DOJ (Antitrust Division)
• Ronald Hosko, Ass’t Director, FBI (Criminal Investigative Division)

Dirksen 226 @2:30pm

 

Friday, Nov. 15th
House Judiciary:  “Oversight of the Antitrust Enforcement Agencies”

On Friday, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law will hold an oversight hearing over the FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division.  Although no witness list has yet been released, such hearings have typically featured one panelist from the front office of either agency.

2141 Rayburn @9:00 am

posted by Anant Raut

Senators Send Letter to USTR Re FRAND

The Guardian reports that a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, including Senate antitrust subcommittee Chairman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), James Risch (R-ID) has sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Michael Froman decrying the failure of companies to honor FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) commitments with respect to their patents.  The letter cites the ongoing Samsung-Apple dispute (in which the US International Trade Commission has issued an injunction, set to take effect in 60 days, which would bar the import of certain Apple iPhones and iPads for infringement of Samsung’s patents), but does not take an overt position on the matter.

posted by Anant Raut

This Week in Congress

Tuesday, July 23rd

“Pay-for-Delay Deals:  Limiting Competition and Costing Consumers”

Dirksen 226 @10:00am

The Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights has announced a hearing on “pay-for-delay” deals next Tuesday.  The witness list is as follows:

Panel I

• Hon. Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman, FTC

Panel II

• Robert G. Ramasco, President, AARP
• Diane E. Bieri, Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP
• Michael A. Carrier, Professor, Rutgers University School of Law
• Jonathan M. Orszag, Senior Managing Director, Compass Lexecon LLC
• Michael Russo, Federal Program Director, U.S. PIRG
• Dr. Sumanth Addanki, Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting

A webcast of Tuesday’s hearing may be found here.

This blog has previously analyzed legislation introduced by Senator Klobuchar that would heighten the legal standard for pay-for-delay deals.

posted by Anant Raut

Senate Hearing: “Pay-for-Delay Deals: Limiting Competition and Costing Consumers”

Tuesday, July 23rd

“Pay-for-Delay Deals:  Limiting Competition and Costing Consumers”

Dirksen 226@10:00am

The Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights has announced a hearing on “pay-for-delay” deals next Tuesday.  The witness list is as follows:

Panel I

• Hon. Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman, FTC

Panel II

• Robert G. Ramasco, President, AARP
• Diane E. Bieri, Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP
• Michael A. Carrier, Professor, Rutgers University School of Law
• Jonathan M. Orszag, Senior Managing Director, Compass Lexecon LLC
• Michael Russo, Federal Program Director, U.S. PIRG
• Dr. Sumanth Addanki, Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting

A webcast of Tuesday’s hearing may be found here.

This blog has previously analyzed legislation introduced by Senator Klobuchar that would heighten the legal standard for pay-for-delay deals.

posted by Anant Raut

Sen. Lee Calls For Faster Merger Review

In a statement released Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), the Ranking Member of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, called for faster merger reviews and “any measures that respect the proper role of antitrust enforcement while reducing the burden of the premerger notification program.”  Sen. Lee did not indicate whether he intended to introduce legislation or call for hearings addressing this issue.  Sen. Lee’s statement came just days after the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division released their 35th Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report (Fiscal Year 2012).

The article discussing Sen. Lee’s statement may be found here.

posted by Anant Raut