UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
BEMIS COMPANY, INC.,
and
RIO TINTO PLC,
and
ALCAN CORPORATION,
Defendants.
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CASE NO.: 1:10-cv-00295
JUDGE: Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen
DECK TYPE: Antitrust
Date: July 12, 2010
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MOTION AND MEMORANDUM OF THE UNITED STATES IN SUPPORT OF ENTRY OF FINAL JUDGMENT
Pursuant to Section 2(b) of the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act, 15 U.S.C. § 16(b)-(h) ("APPA" or "Tunney Act"), plaintiff, the United States of America ("United States") moves
for entry of the proposed Final Judgment filed in this civil antitrust proceeding. The proposed
Final Judgment may be entered at this time without further hearing if the Court determines that
entry is in the public interest. The Competitive Impact Statement ("CIS") filed in this matter on
February 24, 2010, explains why entry of the proposed Final Judgment would be in the public
interest. The United States is also filing a Certificate of Compliance, attached hereto as Exhibit
A, which sets forth the steps taken by the parties to comply with all applicable provisions of the
APPA and certifying that the statutory waiting period has expired.
I. BACKGROUND
On February 24, 2010, the United States filed a civil antitrust Complaint alleging that the
proposed acquisition of the Alcan Packaging Food Americas business ("Alcan") of Rio Tinto plc
("Rio Tinto") by Bemis Company, Inc. ("Bemis") likely would substantially lessen competition
in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18, in the United States and Canada, for
the design, development, production, marketing, servicing, distribution, and sale of: (1) flexible-packaging rollstock for chunk and sliced natural cheese packaged for retail sale; (2) flexible-packaging rollstock for shredded natural cheese packaged for retail sale; and (3) flexible-packaging shrink bags for fresh meat (hereinafter, collectively, the "Relevant Products"). That
loss of competition likely would result in higher prices, decreased quality, less favorable supply-chain options, reduced technical support, and lesser innovation in the markets for the Relevant
Products.
At the same time the Complaint was filed, the United States filed a Hold Separate
Stipulation and Order ("Hold Separate Order") and a proposed Final Judgment, which are
designed to eliminate the anticompetitive effects of the acquisition, and a CIS. The Court signed
and entered the Hold Separate Order on February 25, 2010. Under the terms of the proposed
Final Judgment, Bemis is required to divest all of the intangible assets (i.e., intellectual property
and know-how) related to the production of Alcan Relevant Products (1) in the United States and
Canada and two of the plants involved in the production of the Alcan Relevant Products. Bemis
is also required to divest all of the tangible assets necessary to operate the divested plants and all
tangible assets used exclusively or primarily in the production of any Alcan Relevant Product in
the United States or Canada. The CIS explains the basis for the Complaint and the reasons why
entry of the proposed Final Judgment would be in the public interest.
The Hold Separate Order provides that the proposed Final Judgment may be entered by
the Court after the completion of the procedures required by the APPA. Entry of the proposed
Final Judgment would terminate this action, except that the Court would retain jurisdiction to
construe, modify, or enforce the provisions of the Final Judgment and to punish violations
thereof.
II. COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPA
The APPA requires a sixty-day period for the submission of public comments on a
proposed Final Judgment. See 15 U.S.C. § 16(b). In compliance with the APPA, the United
States filed the CIS on February 24, 2010; published the proposed Final Judgment and CIS in the
Federal Register on February on March 4, 2010 (see United States v. Bemis Company Inc. et al.,
75 Fed. Reg. 9929); and published summaries of the terms of the proposed Final Judgment and
CIS, together with directions for the submission of written comments relating to the proposed
Final Judgment, in The Washington Post for seven days beginning on March 10, 2010 and
ending on March 16, 2010. The sixty-day public comment period terminated on May 15, 2010
and three comments were received. In response to those comments, the United States filed a
Reponse to Public Comments on the Proposed Final Judgment ("Response to Comments") with
this Court on June 7, 2010. Simultaneously with this Motion and Memorandum, the United
States is filing a Certificate of Compliance that states all the requirements of the APPA have
been satisfied. It is now appropriate for the Court to make the public interest determination
required by 15 U.S.C. § 16(e) and to enter the proposed Final Judgment.
III. STANDARD OF JUDICIAL REVIEW
The APPA requires that proposed consent judgments in antitrust cases brought by the
United States be subject to a sixty-day comment period, after which the court shall determine
whether entry of the proposed Final Judgment "is in the public interest." 15 U.S.C. § 16(e)(1).
In making that determination in accordance with the statute, the court is required to consider:
(A) the competitive impact of such judgment, including
termination of alleged violations, provisions for enforcement and
modification, duration of relief sought, anticipated effects of
alternative remedies actually considered, whether its terms are
ambiguous, and any other competitive considerations bearing upon
the adequacy of such judgment that the court deems necessary to a
determination of whether the consent judgment is in the public
interest; and
(B) the impact of entry of such judgment upon competition in the
relevant market or markets, upon the public generally and
individuals alleging specific injury from the violations set forth in
the complaint including consideration of the public benefit, if any,
to be derived from a determination of the issues at trial.
15 U.S.C. § 16(e)(1)(A)-(B). In considering these statutory factors, the court's inquiry is
necessarily a limited one as the government is entitled to "broad discretion to settle with the
defendant within the reaches of the public interest." United States v. Microsoft Corp., 56 F.3d
1448, 1461 (D.C. Cir. 1995); see generally United States v. SBC Commc'ns, Inc., 489 F. Supp.
2d 1 (D.D.C. 2007) (assessing public interest standard under the Tunney Act); United States v.
InBev N.V./S.A., 2009-2 Trade Cas. (CCH) ¶76,736, No. 08-1965 (JR), 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
84787, at *3 (D.D.C. Aug. 11, 2009) (noting that the court's review of a consent judgment is
limited and only inquires "into whether the government's determination that the proposed
remedies will cure the antitrust violations alleged in the complaint was reasonable, and whether
the mechanisms to enforce the Final Judgment are clear and manageable").
As the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has held,
under the APPA, a court considers, among other things, the relationship between the remedy
secured and the specific allegations set forth in the government's complaint, whether the decree
is sufficiently clear, whether enforcement mechanisms are sufficient, and whether the decree
may positively harm third parties. See Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1458-62. With respect to the
adequacy of the relief secured by the decree, a court may not "engage in an unrestricted
evaluation of what relief would best serve the public." United States v. BNS, Inc., 858 F.2d 456,
462 (9th Cir. 1988) (citing United States v. Bechtel Corp., 648 F.2d 660, 666 (9th Cir. 1981));
see also Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1460-62; United States v. Alcoa, Inc., 152 F. Supp. 2d 37, 40
(D.D.C. 2001); InBev, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84787, at *3. Courts have held that:
[t]he balancing of competing social and political interests affected
by a proposed antitrust consent decree must be left, in the first
instance, to the discretion of the Attorney General. The court's
role in protecting the public interest is one of insuring that the
government has not breached its duty to the public in consenting to
the decree. The court is required to determine not whether a
particular decree is the one that will best serve society, but whether
the settlement is "within the reaches of the public interest." More
elaborate requirements might undermine the effectiveness of
antitrust enforcement by consent decree.
Bechtel, 648 F.2d at 666 (emphasis added) (citations omitted). (2) In determining whether a
proposed settlement is in the public interest, the court "must accord deference to the
government's predictions about the efficacy of its remedies, and may not require that the
remedies perfectly match the alleged violations." SBC Commc'ns, 489 F. Supp. 2d at 17; see
also Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1461 (noting the need for courts to be "deferential to the government's
predictions as to the effect of the proposed remedies"); United States v. Archer-Daniels-Midland
Co., 272 F. Supp. 2d 1, 6 (D.D.C. 2003) (noting that the court should grant due respect to the
United States's prediction as to the effect of proposed remedies, its perception of the market
structure, and its views of the nature of the case).
Courts have greater flexibility in approving proposed consent decrees than in crafting
their own decrees following a finding of liability in a litigated matter. "[A] proposed decree
must be approved even if it falls short of the remedy the court would impose on its own, as long
as it falls within the range of acceptability or is 'within the reaches of public interest.'" United
States v. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co., 552 F. Supp. 131, 151 (D.D.C. 1982) (citations omitted) (quoting
United States v. Gillette Co., 406 F. Supp. 713, 716 (D. Mass. 1975)), aff'd sub nom. Maryland
v. United States, 460 U.S. 1001 (1983); see also United States v. Alcan Aluminum Ltd., 605 F.
Supp. 619, 622 (W.D. Ky. 1985) (approving the consent decree even though the court would
have imposed a greater remedy). Therefore, the United States "need only provide a factual basis
for concluding that the settlements are reasonably adequate remedies for the alleged harms."
SBC Commc'ns, 489 F. Supp. 2d at 17.
Moreover, in its 2004 amendments to the Tunney Act, (3) Congress made clear its intent to
preserve the practical benefits of utilizing consent decrees in antitrust enforcement, stating
"[n]othing in this section shall be construed to require the court to conduct an evidentiary
hearing or to require the court to permit anyone to intervene." 15 U.S.C. § 16(e)(2). The
language wrote into the statute what Congress intended when it enacted the Tunney Act in 1974,
as Senator Tunney explained: "[t]he court is nowhere compelled to go to trial or to engage in
extended proceedings which might have the effect of vitiating the benefits of prompt and less
costly settlement through the consent decree process." 119 Cong. Rec. 24,598 (1973) (statement
of Senator Tunney). Rather, the procedure for the public-interest determination is left to the
discretion of the court, with the recognition that the court's "scope of review remains sharply
proscribed by precedent and the nature of Tunney Act proceedings." SBC Commc'ns, 489 F.
Supp. 2d at 11. (4)
The United States alleges in its Complaint that the acquisition of Alcan by Bemis would
substantially lessen competition in the United States and Canada for the design, development,
production, marketing, servicing, distribution, and sale of the Relevant Products, which likely
would result in higher prices, decreased quality, less favorable supply-chain options, reduced
technical support, and lesser innovation in the markets for the Relevant Products. The remedy in
the proposed Final Judgment resolves the alleged competitive effects by requiring Bemis to
divest all of the intangible assets (i.e., intellectual property and know-how) related to the
production of Alcan Relevant Products in the United States and Canada and two of the plants
involved in the production of the Alcan Relevant Products. Bemis is also required to divest all
of the tangible assets necessary to operate the divested plants and all tangible assets used
exclusively or primarily in the production of any Alcan Relevant Product in the United States or
Canada. Bemis plans to divest these assets to a viable purchaser approved by the United States.
Moreover, the public, including affected competitors and customers, has had the opportunity to
comment on the proposed Final Judgment as required by law, and the United States has
responded to the comments received. There has been no showing that the proposed settlement
constitutes an abuse of the United States's discretion or that it is not within the zone of
settlements consistent with the public interest.
IV. CONCLUSION
For the reasons set forth in this Motion and Memorandum and in the CIS, the Court
should find that the proposed Final Judgment is in the public interest and should enter the Final
Judgment without further hearings. The United States respectfully requests that the Final
Judgment, attached hereto as Exhibit B, be entered as soon as possible.
Dated: July 12, 2010
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Respectfully submitted,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
_______________/s/________________ Rachel J. Adcox, Esq.
United States Department of Justice
Antitrust Division, Litigation II Section
450 5th Street, N.W., Suite 8700
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 616-3302
rachel.adcox@usdoj.gov
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Rachel J. Adcox, hereby certify that on July 12, 2010, I caused a copy of the foregoing
Response of Plaintiff United States to Public Comments on the Proposed Final Judgment to be
served upon defendants Bemis Company, Inc., Rio Tinto plc, and Alcan Corporation by mailing
the documents electronically to the duly authorized legal representatives of defendants as
follows:
Counsel for Defendant Bemis Company, Inc.:
Stephen M. Axinn, Esq.
John D. Harkrider, Esq.
Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
114 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 728-2200
sma@avhlaw.com
jdh@avhlaw.com
Counsel for Defendants Rio Tinto plc and Alcan Corporation:
Steven L. Holley, Esq.
Bradley P. Smith, Esq.
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
125 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
(212) 558-4737
holleys@sullcrom.com
smithbr@sullcrom.com
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_______________/s/________________ Rachel J. Adcox, Esq.
United States Department of Justice
Antitrust Division, Litigation II Section
450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 8700
Washington, D.C. 20530
(202) 616-3302
rachel.adcox@usdoj.gov
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EXIHIBIT A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
BEMIS COMPANY, INC.,
and
RIO TINTO PLC,
and
ALCAN CORPORATION,
Defendants.
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CASE NO.: 1:10-cv-00295
JUDGE: Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen
DECK TYPE: Antitrust
Date: July 12, 2010 |
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CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS
OF THE ANTITRUST PROCEDURES AND PENALTIES ACT
Plaintiff, United States of America, by the undersigned attorney, hereby certifies that, in
compliance with the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act ("APPA"), 15 U.S.C. § 16(b)-(h),
the following procedures have been followed in preparation for the entry of the Final Judgment
in this matter:
- The Complaint, proposed Final Judgment, and Hold Separate Stipulation and
Order ("Hold Separate Order"), by which the parties have agreed to the Court's entry of the
Final Judgment following compliance with the APPA, were filed with the Court on February 24,
2010. The Untied States also filed its Competitive Impact Statement ("CIS")
with the Court on February 24, 2010.
- Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 16(b), the proposed
Final Judgment and CIS were published in the Federal Register on
March 4, 2010 (see United States v. Bemis Company, Inc. et
al., 75 Fed. Reg. 9929).
- Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 16(b), copies of the
proposed Final Judgment and CIS were furnished to all persons requesting
them and made available on the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division's
internet site, as were the Complaint and the Hold Separate Order.
- Pursuant
to 15 U.S.C. § 16(c), a summary of the terms of the proposed Final
Judgment was published in The Washington Post, a newspaper of general circulation
in the District of Columbia, for seven days beginning on March 10, 2010 and
ending on March 16, 2010.
- As noted in the CIS, there were no determinative
materials or documents within the meaning of 15 U.S.C. § 16(b) that were considered by the United States in formulating the
proposed Final Judgment, so none were furnished to any person pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 16(b) or
listed pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 16(c).
- As required by 15 U.S.C. § 16(g), on
March 5, 2010, defendants Rio Tinto plc and Alcan Corporation filed with
the Court a description of written or oral communications by or on behalf
of Rio Tinto plc, Alcan Corporation, or any other person, with any officer
or employee of the United States concerning the proposed Final Judgment.
On March 8, 2010, defendant Bemis also filed with the Court a description
of written or oral communications by or on behalf of Bemis, or any other
person, with any officer or employee of the United States concerning the
proposed Final Judgment.
- The sixty-day comment period prescribed by 15 U.S.C. § 16(b) and (d) for the
receipt and consideration of written comments, during which the proposed Final Judgment could
not be entered, ended on May 15, 2010. The United States received three comments on the
proposed Final Judgment. As required by 15 U.S.C. § 16(b), the United States
filed its response to those comments with the Court on June 7, 2010, and published
the response in the Federal Register on June 14, 2010 (see United States v. Bemis Company, Inc. et al.; Public Comments
and Response on Proposed Final Judgment, 75 Fed. Reg. 33637).
8. The parties have satisfied all the requirements of the Antitrust Procedures
and Penalties Act, 15 U.S.C. § 16(b)-(h), that were conditions for entering the proposed Final
Judgment. The Court may now enter the Final Judgment if the Court determines that, pursuant
to 15 U.S.C. § 16(e), entry of the Final Judgment is in the public interest.
Dated: July 12, 2010
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Respectfully submitted:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
_______________/s/________________
Rachel J. Adcox, Esq.
United States Department of Justice
Antitrust Division, Litigation II Section
450 5th Street, N.W., Suite 8700
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 616-3302
rachel.adcox@usdoj.gov
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EXIHIBIT B
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
BEMIS COMPANY, INC.,
and
RIO TINTO PLC,
and
ALCAN CORPORATION,
Defendants.
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CASE NO.: 1:10-cv-00295
JUDGE: Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen
DECK TYPE: Antitrust
Date: July 12, 2010 |
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FINAL JUDGMENT
WHEREAS, Plaintiff United States of America ("United States") filed its Complaint on
February 24, 2010, the United States and defendants Bemis Company, Inc., Rio Tinto plc, and
Alcan Corporation, by their respective attorneys, have consented to the entry of this Final
Judgment without trial or adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and without this Final
Judgment constituting any evidence against or admission by any party regarding any issue of
fact or law;
AND WHEREAS, defendants agree to be bound by the provisions of this Final Judgment
pending its approval by the Court;
AND WHEREAS, the essence of this Final Judgment is the prompt and certain
divestiture of certain rights or assets by defendants to assure that competition is not substantially
lessened;
AND WHEREAS, the United States requires defendants to make certain divestitures for
the purpose of remedying the loss of competition alleged in the Complaint;
AND WHEREAS, defendants have represented to the United States that the divestitures
required below can and will be made and that defendants will later raise no claim of hardship or
difficulty as grounds for asking the Court to modify any of the divestiture provisions contained
below;
NOW THEREFORE, before any testimony is taken, without trial or adjudication of any
issue of fact or law, and upon consent of the parties, it is ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND
DECREED:
I. JURISDICTION
This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of and each of the parties to this
action. The Complaint states a claim upon which relief may be granted against defendants under
Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 18).
II. DEFINITIONS
As used in this Final Judgment:
- "Acquirer" or "Acquirers" means the entity or entities to whom defendants
divest the Divestiture Assets.
- "Bemis" means defendant Bemis Company, Inc.,
a Missouri corporation headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, its successors
and assigns, and its subsidiaries, divisions, groups, affiliates, partnerships
and joint ventures, and their directors, officers, managers, agents, and
employees.
- "Rio Tinto" means defendant Rio Tinto plc, organized under
the laws of and headquartered in the United Kingdom, its successors and assigns,
and its subsidiaries, divisions, groups, affiliates, partnerships and joint
ventures, and their directors, officers, managers, agents, and employees.
- "Alcan" means
defendant Alcan Corporation, a Delaware corporation that is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Rio Tinto headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, its successors
and assigns, and its subsidiaries, divisions, groups, affiliates, partnerships
and joint ventures, and their directors, officers, managers, agents, and
employees.
- "Divestiture Assets" means:
- Alcan's facility located at 905 W. Verdigris
Parkway, Catoosa, Oklahoma 74015 ("Catoosa facility");
- Alcan's facility
located at 271 River Street, Menasha, Wisconsin 54952 ("Menasha facility");
provided, however, that the tangible assets used exclusively or primarily
for the wax-coating operation located at the Menasha facility shall not
be divested pursuant to this Final Judgment;
- The following tangible assets:
- All tangible assets (leased or owned)
necessary to operate or used in or for the Catoosa facility and the
Menasha facility, including, but not limited to, all real property
and improvements, manufacturing equipment, product inventory, tooling
and fixed assets, personal property, titles, interests, leases, input
inventory, office furniture, materials, supplies, and other tangible
property;
- All tangible assets (leased or owned) used exclusively or
primarily for the research and development of any Alcan Relevant
Product in the United States and/or Canada, including, but not limited
to, materials, supplies, and other property; and
- All records and documents
relating to any Alcan Relevant Product in the United States and/or
Canada, including, but not limited to, licenses, permits, and authorizations
issued by any governmental organization; contracts, teaming agreements,
leases, commitments, certifications, and understandings, including,
but not limited to, supply agreements; customer lists, contracts,
accounts, and credit records; and repair and performance records.
- The following intangible assets:
- All intangible assets used exclusively
or primarily in the design, development, production, marketing, servicing,
distribution, and/or sale of any Alcan Relevant Product in the United
States and/or Canada, including, but not limited to, all patents,
licenses and sub-licenses, intellectual property, copyrights, trade
names or trademarks, including, but not limited to, "Halo," "Maraflex,"
"Clearshield," or any derivation thereof, service marks, service
names, technical information, designs, trade dress, and trade
secrets; computer software, databases, and related documentation;
know-how, including, but not limited to, recipes, formulas, and
machine settings; information relating to plans for, improvements
to, or line extensions of, Alcan's Relevant Products; drawings,
blueprints, designs, design protocols, specifications for materials,
and specifications for parts and devices; marketing and sales data;
quality assurance and control procedures; design tools and
simulation capability; contractual rights; manuals and technical
information provided by Alcan to its own employees, customers,
suppliers, agents, or licensees; safety procedures for the handling
of materials and substances; research information and data
concerning historic and current research and development efforts,
including, but not limited to, designs and experiments and the
results of successful and unsuccessful designs and experiments;
and
- With respect to any intangible assets that are not included in
paragraph II(E)(4)(a), above, and that prior to the filing of the
Complaint in this matter were used in connection with the design,
development, production, marketing, servicing, distribution, and/or
sale of both any Alcan Relevant Product and any other Alcan
product, a non-exclusive, non-transferable license for such
intangible assets to be used for the design, development,
production, marketing, servicing, distribution, and/or sale of any
of the Relevant Products or the operation or use of the Catoosa
facility and/or the Menasha facility for the period of time that
defendants have rights to such assets; provided, however, that any
such license is transferable to any future purchaser of all or any
relevant portion of the Divestiture Assets.
- "Relevant Products" means
any flexible-packaging rollstock used for chunk, sliced, and/or shredded
natural cheeses packaged for retail sale and any flexible-packaging
shrink bags used for fresh meat.
- "Transaction" means Bemis's proposed acquisition
of the Alcan Packaging Food Americas business.
III. APPLICABILITY
- This Final Judgment applies to Bemis, Rio Tinto, and Alcan, as defined
above, and all other persons in active concert or participation with any
of them who receive actual notice of this Final Judgment by personal service
or otherwise.
- If, prior to complying with Section IV and V of this Final
Judgment, defendants sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all
of their assets or of lesser business units that include the Divestiture
Assets, they shall require the purchaser to be bound by the provisions of
this Final Judgment. Defendants need not obtain such an agreement from the
Acquirer or Acquirers of the assets divested pursuant to this Final Judgment.
IV. DIVESTITURES
- Bemis is ordered and directed, within ninety (90) calendar days after the
filing of the Complaint in this matter, or five (5) calendar days after notice
of the entry of this Final Judgment by the Court, whichever is later, to
divest the Divestiture Assets in a manner consistent with this Final Judgment
to an Acquirer or Acquirers acceptable to the United States, in its sole
discretion. The United States, in its sole discretion, may agree to one or
more extensions of this time period not to exceed sixty (60) calendar days
in total, and shall notify the Court in such circumstances. Bemis agrees
to use its best efforts to divest the Divestiture Assets as expeditiously
as possible.
- In accomplishing the divestitures ordered by this Final Judgment,
Bemis promptly shall make known, by usual and customary means, the availability
of the Divestiture Assets. Bemis shall inform any person making inquiry regarding
a possible purchase of the Divestiture Assets that they are being divested
pursuant to this Final Judgment and provide that person with a copy of this
Final Judgment. Bemis shall offer to furnish to all prospective Acquirers,
subject to customary confidentiality assurances, all information and documents
relating to the Divestiture Assets customarily provided in a due diligence
process, except such information or documents subject to the attorney-client
privilege or work-product doctrine. Bemis shall make available such information
to the United States at the same time that such information is made available
to any other person.
- Bemis shall provide the Acquirer or Acquirers and the
United States information relating to the personnel employed at the Catoosa
facility and the Menasha facility and the personnel otherwise involved in
the design, development, production, marketing, servicing, distribution,
and/or sale of Alcan's Relevant Products to enable the Acquirer or Acquirers
to make offers of employment. Defendants will not interfere with any negotiations
by the Acquirer or Acquirers to employ any person who is employed at the
Catoosa facility or the Menasha facility or is otherwise involved in the
design, development, production, marketing, servicing, distribution, and/or
sale of Alcan's Relevant Products. Interference with respect to this paragraph
includes, but is not limited to, offering to increase an employee's salary
or benefits other than as a part of a company-wide increase in salary or
benefits. In addition, for each employee who elects employment by the Acquirer
or Acquirers, Bemis shall vest all unvested pension and other equity rights
of that employee and provide all benefits to which the employee would have
been entitled if terminated without cause.
- Defendants shall waive all noncompete
agreements for any current or former Alcan employee employed at the Catoosa
facility, the Menasha facility, or otherwise employed in the design, development,
production, marketing, servicing, distribution, and/or sale of any Alcan
Relevant Product.
- Bemis shall permit prospective Acquirers of the Divestiture
Assets to have reasonable access to personnel and to make inspections of
the physical facilities associated with the Divestiture Assets; access to
any and all environmental, zoning, and other permit documents and information;
and access to any and all financial, operational, or other documents and
information customarily provided as part of a due diligence process.
- Bemis
shall warrant to the Acquirer or Acquirers that each asset will be operational
on the date of sale.
- Defendants shall not take any action that will impede
in any way the permitting, operation, use, or divestiture of the Divestiture
Assets.
- Defendants shall warrant to the Acquirer or Acquirers that there are
no material defects in the environmental, zoning or other permits pertaining
to the operation of each asset, and that following the sale of the Divestiture
Assets, defendants will not undertake, directly or indirectly, any challenges
to the environmental, zoning, or other permits relating to the operation
of the Divestiture Assets.
- Bemis shall take all steps necessary to accomplish
the transfer of the leasehold and other rights of possession of the Catoosa
facility to the Acquirer, including, but not limited to, invoking and exercising
all applicable early termination, early purchase, or other provisions contained
in the agreements related to the Catoosa facility, and paying all necessary
sums specified in such agreements.
- Bemis shall warrant that it is divesting
Alcan's entire business relating to each of the Relevant Products and will
not manufacture any Alcan Relevant Product after the date the Divestiture
Assets are divested until the expiration of this Final Judgment. Defendants
shall not solicit business for any Relevant Product that is subject to an
unexpired Alcan customer contract transferred to the Acquirer for a period
of one (1) year from the date of the divestiture of such contract or the
remaining term of the contract, whichever is shorter.
- The Acquirer of the
Menasha facility shall enter into an agreement with Bemis permitting Bemis
to occupy the portions of the Menasha facility utilized for Alcan's wax-coating
operations for a period of no longer than three (3) years after the date
the Transaction is closed. By no later than three (3) months after the date
the Transaction is closed, Bemis shall create physical barriers that segregate
the wax-coating operations from the portions of the Menasha facility to be
occupied by the Acquirer. Bemis's areas and operations at the Menasha facility
shall be secured separately from those of the Acquirer so that the Acquirer's
areas and operations cannot be accessed by Bemis and Bemis's areas and operations
cannot be accessed by the Acquirer, other than for facility repair, support,
and maintenance pursuant to a lease or other agreement. At the option of
the Acquirer, the lease agreement may include a provision requiring Bemis
to remove any or all physical barriers erected to segregate its areas and
operations from the Acquirer's areas and operations pursuant to this paragraph.
- At the option of the Acquirer of the Divestiture Assets relating to the "Maraflex"
products, Bemis shall enter into a supply contract with that Acquirer for the "Maraflex" products
sufficient to satisfy that Acquirer's obligations under any customer contract for a period of up to
one (1) year. The amount of "Maraflex" products produced by Bemis for the Acquirer pursuant
to such a supply contract shall be limited to the total volume of "Maraflex" products
produced by Alcan in 2009 plus one percent, unless otherwise mutually agreed
by Bemis and the Acquirer. The terms and conditions of any contractual arrangement
intended to satisfy this provision must be reasonably related to market conditions
for these products. The United States, in its sole discretion, may approve
an extension of the term of this supply contract for a period of up to two
(2) years. If the Acquirer seeks an extension of the term of this supply
contract, it shall so notify the United States in writing at least four (4)
months prior to the date the supply contract expires. If the United States
approves such an extension, it shall so notify Bemis in writing at least
three (3) months prior to the date the supply contract expires.
- At the option
of the Acquirer of the Divestiture Assets relating to the "Maraflex"
products, Bemis shall enter into a transition services agreement with that Acquirer sufficient to
meet all or part of that Acquirer's needs for assistance in matters relating to the development,
production, and/or service of the "Maraflex" products or technology for a
period of at least six (6) months but no longer than three (3) years. The
terms and conditions of any contractual arrangement intended to satisfy this
provision must be reasonably related to the market value of the expertise
of the personnel providing any needed assistance.
- At the option of the Acquirer
of the Menasha facility, Bemis shall enter into a supply contract with that
Acquirer for any Relevant Product produced at Alcan's facility located at
901 Morrison Drive, Boscobel, Wisconsin 53805 (the "Boscobel facility"),
sufficient to satisfy that Acquirer's obligations under any customer contract
for a period of up to one (1) year. The amount of Relevant Products produced
by Bemis for the Acquirer pursuant to such a supply contract shall be limited
to the total volume of Relevant Products produced by Alcan at the Boscobel
facility in 2009 plus one percent, unless otherwise mutually agreed by Bemis
and the Acquirer. The terms and conditions of any contractual arrangement
intended to satisfy this provision must be reasonably related to market conditions
for these products. The United States, in its sole discretion, may approve
an extension of the term of this supply contract for a period of up to one
(1) year. If the Acquirer seeks an extension of the term of this supply contract,
it shall so notify the United States in writing at least four (4) months
prior to the date the supply contract expires. If the United States approves
such an extension, it shall so notify Bemis in writing at least three (3)
months prior to the date the supply contract expires.
- At the option of Bemis,
the Acquirer of the Catoosa facility shall enter into a supply contract for
the "Clearshield" products sufficient to satisfy Alcan's or Bemis's
obligations to Alcan affiliates Danaflex, Maua, and Envaril for a period of up to one (1) year.
The amount of "Clearshield" products produced by the Acquirer for Bemis pursuant to such a
supply contract shall be limited to the total volume of "Clearshield" products
produced by Alcan for Danaflex, Maua, and Envaril in 2009 plus one percent,
unless otherwise mutually agreed by Bemis and the Acquirer. The terms and
conditions of any contractual arrangement intended to satisfy this provision
must be reasonably related to market conditions for these products. The United
States, in its sole discretion, may approve an extension of the term of this
supply contract for a period of up to two (2) years. If Bemis seeks an extension
of the term of this supply contract, it shall so notify the United States
in writing at least four (4) months prior to the date the supply contract
expires. If the United States approves such an extension, it shall so notify
the Acquirer in writing at least three (3) months prior to the date the supply
contract expires.
- At the option of Bemis, the Acquirer or Acquirers shall
enter into an agreement to provide Bemis with a non-exclusive, non-transferable
license for the intangible assets described in paragraph II(E)(4)(a), above,
that prior to the filing of the Complaint in this matter were used in connection
with the design, development, production, marketing, servicing, distribution,
and/or sale of both any Alcan Relevant Product and any other Alcan product;
provided, however, that any such license is solely for use in connection
with the design, development, production, marketing, servicing, distribution,
and/or sale of products other than the Alcan Relevant Products. The terms
and conditions of any contractual arrangement intended to satisfy this provision
must be reasonably related to market conditions for such licenses.
- At the
option of Bemis, the Acquirer of the Divestiture Assets relating to the
"Clearshield" products shall enter into an agreement to provide Bemis with a non-exclusive,
non-transferable license to enable Bemis to produce "Clearshield" products
for sale outside the United States and Canada. The terms and conditions of
any contractual arrangement intended to satisfy this provision must be reasonably
related to market conditions for such licenses.
- At the option of Bemis,
the Acquirer of the Menasha facility shall enter into an agreement with Bemis
to provide Bemis with rotogravure printing services to be used in connection
with Alcan's wax-coating operation located at the Menasha facility for a
period of up to twelve (12) months. The terms and conditions of any contractual
arrangement intended to satisfy this provision must be reasonably related
to market conditions for these services.
- In any instance where a third party
has a right to a divested intangible asset pursuant to an agreement with
any defendant, and where the agreement was entered into prior to the date
of the filing of the Complaint in this matter, the Acquirer of that divested
asset shall enter into an agreement with that third party to provide it with
a right to that asset under terms and conditions sufficient to satisfy defendants'
obligations under the original agreement.
- Unless the United States otherwise
consents in writing, the divestitures pursuant to Section IV, or by trustee
appointed pursuant to Section V, of this Final Judgment, shall include the
entire Divestiture Assets, and shall be accomplished in such a way as to
satisfy the United States, in its sole discretion, that the Divestiture Assets
can and will be used by the Acquirer or Acquirers as part of a viable, ongoing
business engaged in the design, development, production, marketing, servicing,
distribution, and sale of the Relevant Products. Divestiture of the Divestiture
Assets may be made to one or more Acquirers, provided that in each instance
it is demonstrated to the sole satisfaction of the United States that the
Divestiture Assets will remain viable and the divestiture of such assets
will remedy the competitive harm alleged in the Complaint. The divestitures,
whether pursuant to Section IV or Section V of this Final Judgment:
- shall
be made to an Acquirer or Acquirers that, in the United States's sole
judgment, has the intent and capability (including the necessary managerial,
operational, technical and financial capability) of competing effectively
as a supplier of the Relevant Products; and
- shall be accomplished so
as to satisfy the United States, in its sole discretion, that none of
the terms of any agreement between the Acquirer or Acquirers and defendants
give defendants the ability unreasonably to raise the Acquirer's or Acquirers'
costs, to lower the Acquirer's or Acquirers' efficiency, or otherwise
to interfere in the ability of the Acquirer or Acquirers to compete effectively.
V. APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEE
- If Bemis has not divested the Divestiture Assets within the time period
specified in Section IV(A), Bemis shall notify the United States of that
fact in writing. Upon application of the United States, the Court shall appoint
a trustee selected by the United States and approved by the Court to effect
the divestiture of the Divestiture Assets.
- After the appointment of a trustee
becomes effective, only the trustee shall have the right to sell the Divestiture
Assets. The trustee shall have the power and authority to accomplish the
divestiture to an Acquirer or Acquirers acceptable to the United States at
such price and on such terms as are then obtainable upon reasonable effort
by the trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections IV, V, and VI of this
Final Judgment, and shall have such other powers as this Court deems appropriate.
Subject to Section V(D) of this Final Judgment, the trustee may hire at the
cost and expense of Bemis any investment bankers, attorneys, or other agents,
who shall be solely accountable to the trustee, reasonably necessary in the
trustee's judgment to assist in the divestiture.
- Defendants shall not object
to a sale by the trustee on any ground other than the trustee's malfeasance.
Any such objections by defendants must be conveyed in writing to the United
States and the trustee within ten (10) calendar days after the trustee has
provided the notice required under Section VI.
- The trustee shall serve at
the cost and expense of Bemis, on such terms and conditions as the United
States approves, and shall account for all monies derived from the sale of
the assets sold by the trustee and all costs and expenses so incurred. After
approval by the Court of the trustee's accounting, including fees for its
services and those of any professionals and agents retained by the trustee,
all remaining money shall be paid to defendants and the trust shall then
be terminated. The compensation of the trustee and any professionals and
agents retained by the trustee shall be reasonable in light of the value
of the Divestiture Assets and based on a fee arrangement providing the trustee
with an incentive based on the price and terms of the divestiture and the
speed with which it is accomplished, but timeliness is paramount.
- Defendants
shall use their best efforts to assist the trustee in accomplishing the required
divestitures. The trustee and any consultants, accountants, attorneys, and
other persons retained by the trustee shall have full and complete access
to the personnel, books, records, and facilities of the business to be divested,
and defendants shall develop financial and other information relevant to
such business as the trustee may reasonably request, subject to reasonable
protection for trade secret or other confidential research, development,
or commercial information. Defendants shall take no action to interfere with
or to impede the trustee's accomplishment of the divestitures.
- After its
appointment, the trustee shall file monthly reports with the United States
and the Court setting forth the trustee's efforts to accomplish the divestitures
ordered under this Final Judgment. To the extent such reports contain information
that the trustee deems confidential, such reports shall not be filed in the
public docket of the Court. Such reports shall include the name, address,
and telephone number of each person who, during the preceding month, made
an offer to acquire, expressed an interest in acquiring, entered into negotiations
to acquire, or was contacted or made an inquiry about acquiring, any interest
in the Divestiture Assets, and shall describe in detail each contact with
any such person. The trustee shall maintain full records of all efforts made
to divest the Divestiture Assets.
- If the trustee has not accomplished the
divestitures ordered under this Final Judgment within six (6) months after
his or her appointment, the trustee shall promptly file with the Court a
report setting forth: (1) the trustee's efforts to accomplish the required
divestitures; (2) the reasons, in the trustee's judgment, why the required
divestitures have not been accomplished; and (3) the trustee's recommendations.
To the extent such reports contain information that the trustee deems confidential,
such reports shall not be filed in the public docket of the Court. The trustee
shall at the same time furnish such report to the United States, which shall
have the right to make additional recommendations consistent with the purpose
of the trust. The Court thereafter shall enter such orders as it shall deem
appropriate to carry out the purpose of the Final Judgment, which may, if
necessary, include extending the trust and the term of the trustee's appointment
by a period requested by the United States.
VI. NOTICE OF PROPOSED DIVESTITURE
- Within two (2) business days following execution of a definitive divestiture
agreement, Bemis shall notify the United States of any proposed divestiture
required by Section IV of this Final Judgment. Within two (2) business days
following execution of a definitive divestiture agreement, the trustee shall
notify the United States and defendants of any proposed divestiture required
by Section V of this Final Judgment. The notice shall set forth the details
of the proposed divestiture and list the name, address, and telephone number
of each person not previously identified who offered or expressed an interest
in or desire to acquire any ownership interest in the Divestiture Assets,
together with full details of the same.
- Within fifteen (15) calendar days
of receipt by the United States of such notice, the United States may request
from defendants, the proposed Acquirer or Acquirers, any other third party,
or the trustee, if applicable, additional information concerning the proposed
divestiture, the proposed Acquirer or Acquirers, and any other potential
Acquirer. Defendants and the trustee shall furnish any additional information
requested within fifteen (15) calendar days of the receipt of the request,
unless the parties shall otherwise agree.
- Within thirty (30) calendar days
after receipt of the notice or within twenty (20) calendar days after the
United States has been provided the additional information requested from
defendants, the proposed Acquirer or Acquirers, any third party, and the
trustee, whichever is later, the United States shall provide written notice
to defendants and the trustee, if there is one, stating whether or not it
objects to the proposed divestiture. If the United States provides written
notice that it does not object, the divestiture may be consummated, subject
only to defendants' limited right to object to the sale under Section V(C)
of this Final Judgment. Absent written notice that the United States does
not object to the proposed Acquirer or Acquirers or upon objection by the
United States, a divestiture proposed under Section IV or Section V shall
not be consummated. Upon objection by defendants under Section V(C), a divestiture
proposed under Section V shall not be consummated unless approved by the
Court.
VII. FINANCING
Defendants shall not finance all or any part of any purchase made pursuant to Section IV
or V of this Final Judgment.
VIII. HOLD SEPARATE
Until the divestitures required by this Final Judgment have been accomplished,
defendants shall take all steps necessary to comply with the Hold Separate Stipulation and Order
entered by this Court. Defendants shall take no action that would jeopardize the divestitures
ordered by this Court.
IX. AFFIDAVITS
- Within twenty (20) calendar days of the filing of the Complaint in this
matter, and every thirty (30) calendar days thereafter until the divestitures
have been completed under Section IV or V, Bemis shall deliver to the United
States an affidavit as to the fact and manner of its compliance with Section
IV or V of this Final Judgment. Each such affidavit shall include the name,
address, and telephone number of each person who, during the preceding thirty
(30) calendar days, made an offer to acquire, expressed an interest in acquiring,
entered into negotiations to acquire, or was contacted or made an inquiry
about acquiring, any interest in the Divestiture Assets, and shall describe
in detail each contact with any such person during that period. Each such
affidavit shall also include a description of the efforts Bemis has taken
to solicit buyers for the Divestiture Assets, and to provide required information
to prospective Acquirers, including the limitations, if any, on such information.
Assuming the information set forth in the affidavit is true and complete,
any objection by the United States to information provided by Bemis, including
limitations on information, shall be made within fourteen (14) calendar days
of receipt of such affidavit.
- Within twenty (20) calendar days of the filing
of the Complaint in this matter, Bemis shall deliver to the United States
an affidavit that describes in reasonable detail all actions defendants have
taken and all steps defendants have implemented on an ongoing basis to comply
with Section VIII of this Final Judgment. Bemis shall deliver to the United
States an affidavit describing any changes to the efforts and actions outlined
in defendants' earlier affidavits filed pursuant to this Section within fifteen
(15) calendar days after the change is implemented.
- Defendants shall keep
all records of all efforts made to preserve and divest the Divestiture Assets
until one year after such divestiture has been completed.
X. COMPLIANCE INSPECTION
- For the purposes of determining or securing compliance with this Final
Judgment, or of determining whether the Final Judgment should be modified
or vacated, and subject to any legally recognized privilege, from time to
time authorized representatives of the United States Department of Justice
Antitrust Division, including consultants and other persons retained by the
United States, shall, upon written request of an authorized representative
of the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division, and
on reasonable notice to defendants, be permitted:
- access during defendants'
office hours to inspect and copy, or at the option of the United States,
to require defendants to provide hard copy or electronic copies of, all
books, ledgers, accounts, records, data, and documents in the possession,
custody, or control of defendants, relating to any matters contained
in this Final Judgment; and
- to interview, either informally or on the
record, defendants' officers, employees, or agents, who may have their
individual counsel present, regarding such matters. The interviews shall
be subject to the reasonable convenience of the interviewee and without
restraint or interference by defendants.
- Upon the written request
of an authorized representative of the Assistant Attorney General in
charge of the Antitrust Division, defendants shall submit written reports
or responses to written interrogatories, under oath if requested, relating
to any of the matters contained in this Final Judgment as may be requested.
- No
information or documents obtained by the means provided in this Section shall
be divulged by the United States to any person other than an authorized representative
of the executive branch of the United States, except in the course of legal
proceedings to which the United States is a party (including grand jury proceedings),
for the purpose of securing compliance with this Final Judgment, or as otherwise
required by law.
- If, at the time information or documents are furnished
by defendants to the United States, defendants represent and identify in
writing the material in any such information or documents to which a claim
of protection may be asserted under Rule 26(c)(1)(G) of the Federal Rules
of Civil Procedure, and defendants mark each pertinent page of such material, "Subject to
claim of protection under Rule 26(c)(1)(G) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," then
the United States shall give defendants ten (10) calendar days notice prior
to divulging such material in any legal proceeding (other than a grand jury
proceeding).
XI. NOTIFICATION
Unless such transaction is otherwise subject to the reporting and waiting period
requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, 15
U.S.C. § 18a (the "HSR Act"), Bemis, without providing advance notification to the Antitrust
Division, shall not directly or indirectly acquire any assets of or any interest (including, but not
limited to, any financial, security, loan, equity, or management interest) in any company in the
business of designing, developing, producing, marketing, servicing, distributing, and/or selling
any of the Relevant Products in the United States and/or Canada during the term of this Final
Judgment.
Such notification shall be provided to the Antitrust Division in the same format as, and
per the instructions relating to the Notification and Report Form set forth in the Appendix to Part
803 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations as amended, except that the information
requested in Items 5 through 9 of the instructions must be provided only about the Relevant
Products. Notification shall be provided at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to acquiring any
such interest, and shall include, beyond what may be required by the applicable instructions, the
names of the principal representatives of the parties to the agreement who negotiated the
agreement, and any management or strategic plans discussing the proposed transaction. If within
the 30-day period after notification, representatives of the Antitrust Division make a written
request for additional information, defendants shall not consummate the proposed transaction or
agreement until thirty (30) calendar days after submitting all such additional information. Early
termination of the waiting periods in this paragraph may be requested and, where appropriate,
granted in the same manner as is applicable under the requirements and provisions of the HSR
Act and rules promulgated thereunder. This Section shall be broadly construed and any
ambiguity or uncertainty regarding the filing of notice under this Section shall be resolved in
favor of filing notice.
XII. NO REACQUISITION
Defendants may not reacquire any part of the Divestiture Assets during the term of this
Final Judgment.
XIII. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION
This Court retains jurisdiction to enable any party to this Final Judgment to apply to this
Court at any time for further orders and directions as may be necessary or appropriate to carry
out or construe this Final Judgment, to modify any of its provisions, to enforce compliance, and
to punish violations of its provisions.
XIV. EXPIRATION OF FINAL JUDGMENT
Unless this Court grants an extension, this Final Judgment shall expire ten (10) years
from the date of its entry.
XV. PUBLIC INTEREST DETERMINATION
Entry of this Final Judgment is in the public interest. The parties have complied with the
requirements of the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act, 15 U.S.C. § 16, including making
copies available to the public of this Final Judgment, the Competitive Impact Statement, and any
comments thereon and the United States's responses to comments. Based upon the record before
the Court, which includes the Competitive Impact Statement and any comments and responses to
comments filed with the Court, entry of this Final Judgment is in the public interest.
Date: __________________
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Court approval subject to procedures
of Antitrust Procedures and Penalties
Act, 15 U.S.C. § 16
_______________/s/________________ United States District Judge
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FOOTNOTES
1. The term "Alcan Relevant Products" refers specifically to those Relevant Products
produced by Alcan, rather than to Relevant Products produced by Bemis or others.
2. Cf. BNS, 858 F.2d at 464 (holding that the court's "ultimate authority under the [APPA]
is limited to approving or disapproving the consent decree"); United States v. Gillette Co., 406 F.
Supp. 713, 716 (D. Mass. 1975) (noting that, in this way, the court is constrained to "look at the
overall picture not hypercritically, nor with a microscope, but with an artist's reducing glass").
See generally Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1461 (discussing whether "the remedies [obtained in the
decree are] so inconsonant with the allegations charged as to fall outside of the 'reaches of the
public interest'").
3. The 2004
amendments substituted the word "shall" for "may" when directing the courts
to consider the enumerated factors and amended the list of factors to focus on
competitive considerations and address potentially ambiguous judgment terms. Compare 15
U.S.C. § 16(e)
(2004), with 15 U.S.C. § 16(e)(1) (2006); see also SBC Commc'ns,
489 F. Supp. 2d at 11 (concluding that the 2004 amendments "effected minimal
changes" to
Tunney Act review).
4. See United States v. Enova Corp., 107 F. Supp. 2d 10, 17 (D.D.C. 2000) (noting that
the "Tunney Act expressly allows the court to make its public interest determination on the basis
of the competitive impact statement and response to comments alone"); United States v. Mid-Am. Dairymen, Inc., 1977-1 Trade Cas. (CCH) ¶ 61,508, at 71,980 (W.D. Mo. 1977) ("Absent a
showing of corrupt failure of the government to discharge its duty, the Court, in making its
public interest finding, should . . . carefully consider the explanations of the government in the
competitive impact statement and its responses to comments in order to determine whether those
explanations are reasonable under the circumstances."); S. Rep. No. 93-298, 93d Cong., 1st
Sess., at 6 (1973) ("Where the public interest can be meaningfully evaluated simply on the basis
of briefs and oral arguments, that is the approach that should be utilized.").
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