ABA Section of Antitrust Law Spring Meeting 2018

• By Laurence Colletti
• July 9, 2018

Legal Talk Network returned to record podcasts at this year’s Spring Meeting put on by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law. Akin to last year’s event, the finest and sharpest minds from the antitrust field met in one place to share their experiences and learn from one another. Attendees included leaders of the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Attorney Generals’ offices from the various US states, US District Court judges, foreign governments, and the largest law firms in the world. This gathering remains incredibly collegial, with experienced participants easily interacting with young lawyers and law students (and everyone in between), and everyone comes away learning something new.

It may be impossible to cover every pertinent topic or issue in this important area of law over the course of three days but don’t tell that to the ABA Section of Antitrust Law, its staff, or its volunteers. With over 65 sessions put on, plus opportunities to network, be entertained and share meals, this super-charged ABA group produced separate podcast programming that would appeal to competition & consumer protection practitioners globally.

We were fortunate to be able to sit down at the Spring Meeting and talk with attendees and the Section’s leaders about recent developments in antitrust and consumer protection law as well as some topics about careers in these fields. To hear our podcasts recorded at this year’s meeting, please tune into the shows described below:

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ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Dialogue on Developments in African Consumer Protection Law

Adam Biegel of Alston & Bird takes the lead in this podcast interview with Deon Woods Bell and Hugh Stevenson from the Federal Trade Commission Office of International Affairs as well as Director General/Chief Executive Babatunde Irukera of the Consumer Protection Council in Nigeria, Chairman David Ong’olo of the Competition Authority of Kenya, Chairman Atef Amin Yacoub of the Consumer Protection Agency of Egypt, and Director of Mergers and Monopolies Luyamba Mpamba Kapembwa for Zambia discussing consumer protection, competition, data protection, merger regulations, and why they were attending the 2018 Spring Meeting.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Early Career Advice

Rani Habash from Dechert LLP and Danielle Hagland from Integreon join Alston & Bird’s Hilla Shimshoni to talk about entering the antitrust field, various ways the ABA Section of Antitrust Law helps practitioners get there, and advice for young attorneys.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: The Latest in Consumer Protection Law

Matt Joseph from Fried Frank  sits down with Christie Grymes Thompson of Kelley Drye & Warren and the Federal Trade Commission’s Lesley Fair for a conversation about why they got involved in consumer protection law, working with government agencies, the digital economy, and the Internet of Things.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law – Law & Order – What’s Going on in Criminal Cartel Enforcement?

Joseph Vardner (Wells Fargo) finds out what’s going on with Niall Lynch (Latham Watkins) and the Department of Justice’s Lisa Phelan discussing criminal cartel enforcement, no poaching agreements, and DOJ action to prevent the government from over-paying for products.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: What it’s Like on the Plaintiff Side of the “v”

Plaintiff attorneys Scott Martin (Hausfeld) and Bruce Simon (Pearson, Simon & Warshaw) join Tachau Meek’s Melissa Whitehead to talk about representing plaintiffs as opposed to defendants as well as finding and developing cases that will sustain their practices.  

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: What’s the Point of Antitrust?

Howard University School of Law Professor Andy Gavil and George Washington University Professor (and former FTC chair) Bill Kovacic stop by for a humorous and high level conversation about the purpose of antitrust, its role in today’s economy and political climate, and the overarching need for it with hosts George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School student Anora Wang and Tom York from Jones Day.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: What it Can Do For You and Your Career

Hear directly from ABA Section of Antitrust Law members as Chris Yook (King & Spalding) takes the lead on this podcast featuring Walmart’s Paula Martucci and the Federal Trade Commission’s April Tabor as they discuss their involvement with the ABA Section of Antitrust Law, why they got involved, and how it’s helped their careers, including access to educational publications, networking with top people in the field, and mentorships.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Are You Ready for Your Checkup? An Update on Health Care Antitrust Enforcement

Alston & Bird’s Hilla Shimshoni sits down with McDermott Will & Emery’s Jeffrey Brennan and Davis Wright Tremaine’s Doug Ross for a conversation about antitrust in healthcare, major cases in the area, enforcement trends under the Trump Administration, and AG enforcement at the state level.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Updates from Asia

Facilitated by Baker Botts’ Jana Seidl, this podcast features a Borden Ladner Gervais’ Subrata Bhattacharjee, O’Melveny & Myers’ Ian Simmons, and Vinson & Elkins’ Hill Wellford discussing antitrust developments in Asia including substantive, procedural, and economic issues as well as whether Asia is following a US or EU model.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Data, Data and More Data: What’s Going on in the US and EU in Data Protection Law

Godfrey & Kahn’s Kevin O’Connor and Hunton & Williams’ Phyllis Marcus sit down with Alston & Bird’s Alex Brown for a conversation about data privacy and security, the GDPR and European emphasis on the consumer, and US state laws covering related regulations and penalties.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: The State Attorneys General Update

Facilitated by Dechert LLP’s Anna Aryankalayil, this podcast features Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Gwendolyn Cooley, Florida Chief Deputy Attorney General Trish Conners and Tennessee Attorney General’s Office Senior Counsel Vic Domen discussing the role of state AGs in antitrust enforcement, multistate investigations, and ways for law students to get involved in the AG’s office.

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ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Advice from Prominent In-House Counsel

Borden Ladner Gervais’ Gregory McLean is joined by Uber’s Gail Levine, Microsoft’s Forrest Treat, and American Express’ Suzanne Wachsstock, to talk about antitrust issues from the corporate legal department perspective, their relative paths to their current roles, and advice for young lawyers wishing to enter the field.

 

ABA Section of Antitrust Law: Mergers and Acquisitions Update

Latham & Watkins’ Lindsey Champlin sits down with Jones Day’s Paula Render and Alston & Bird’s John Snyder for a conversation about mergers, agency enforcement emphasis in healthcare and agriculture, and policy issues under the Trump Administration.

 

List of Interview Participants (in Alphabetical Order):

1. Anna Aryankalayil – Dechert LLP
2. Deon Woods Bell – Federal Trade Commission, Office of International Affairs
3. Subrata Bhattacharjee – Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
4. Adam J. Biegel – Alston & Bird LLP
5. Jeffrey W. Brennan – McDermott Will & Emery LLP
6. Alex Brown – Alston & Bird LLP
7. Lindsey S. Champlin – Latham & Watkins LLP
8. Patricia A. Conners – Office of the Florida Attorney General
9. Gwendolyn J. Cooley – Wisconsin Department of Justice
10. Victor J. Domen Jr. – Tennessee Attorney General’s Office
11. Lesley Fair – Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection
12. Andrew I. Gavil – Howard University School of Law
13. Rani Habash – Dechert LLP
14. Danielle S. Haugland – Integreon
15. Babatunde Irukera – Consumer Protection Council (CPC) of Nigeria
16. Matthew Joseph – Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP
17. William Kovacic – George Washington University School of Law
18. Gail Levine – Uber
19. Niall E. Lynch – Latham & Watkins LLP
20. Phyllis H. Marcus – Hunton & Williams LLP
21. Scott A. Martin – Hausfeld
22. Paula C. Martucci – Walmart
23. Gregory McLean – Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
24. Luyamba Mpamba Kapembwa – Zambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
25. Kevin J. O’Connor – Godfrey & Kahn SC
26. David Ong’olo – Competition Authority of Kenya
27. Lisa M. Phelan – US Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Washington Criminal I Section
28. Paula W. Render – Jones Day
29. Douglas C. Ross – Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
30. Jana I. Seidl – Baker Botts
31. Hilla Shimshoni – Alston & Bird LLP
32. Ian T. Simmons – O’Melveny & Myers LLP
33. Bruce L. Simon – Pearson Simon & Warshaw LLP
34. John M. Snyder – Alston & Bird LLP
35. Hugh Stevenson – Federal Trade Commission, Office of International Affairs
36. April J. Tabor – Federal Trade Commission
37. Christie Grymes Thompson – Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP
38. Forrest W. Treat – Microsoft
39. Joseph P. Vardner – Wells Fargo
40. Suzanne Wachsstock – American Express
41. Anora Wang – George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
42. Hill B. Wellford – Vinson & Elkins LLP
43. Melissa Mahurin Whitehead – Tachau Meek PLC
44. Atef Amin Yacoub – Consumer Protection Agency of Egypt
45. Christopher C. Yook – King & Spalding LLP

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