U.S. Department
of Justice
Public Workshops on Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines
Washington, DC
United States
Event Details
Workshop Information
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission held a workshop on March 11, 2020 to solicit public dialogue on the draft Vertical Merger Guidelines released on Jan. 10, 2020. The workshop allowed for a dynamic discussion about the proposed Guidelines to complement written public comments that were submitted to the agencies about the draft Guidelines. The agencies selected panelists for the workshop from those who filed public comments and indicated their interest and availability to participate. A second workshop, scheduled for March 18, 2020, has been canceled.
The draft Guidelines describe how the Federal antitrust agencies review vertical mergers to evaluate whether they violate antitrust law. Vertical mergers combine two or more companies that operate at different levels of the supply chain. The draft Guidelines outline the agencies’ principal analytical techniques, practices, and enforcement policy for vertical mergers. The agencies will consider both public comments and workshop discussions before issuing final Vertical Merger Guidelines.
Press Release: Justice Department and FTC Announce Workshops on Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines, Extend Comment Period (February 3, 2020)
Press Release: Department of Justice Antitrust Division Announces Agenda and Panelists for Workshop on Proposed Vertical Merger Guidelines (March 4, 2020)
Speech: Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim Delivers Opening Remarks for the Workshop on the Proposed Vertical Merger Guidelines (March 11, 2020)
Dates and Locations
|
March 11, 2020 |
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building |
|
March 18, 2020 |
Federal Trade Commission |
Workshop Agenda
March 11, 2020 |
|
|
Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice |
|
|
Opening Remarks Christine Wilson, Commissioner, FTC |
|
|
Panel 1: Former Enforcer and Practitioner Perspectives Panelists Renata Hesse, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell, former Acting Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice Jonathan Jacobson, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Robert Majure, Ph.D., Vice President, Cornerstone Research, former Director of Economics for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice Jonathan Sallet, Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice Craig Waldman, Partner, Jones Day DOJ Moderator: David Shaw, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice FTC Moderator: Heather Johnson, Senior Counsel to the Director, Bureau of Competition, FTC |
|
|
Panel 2: Public Interest and Academic Perspectives Panelists Avery Gardiner, Senior Fellow for Competition, Data, and Power, Center for Democracy & Technology, former Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice Aviv Nevo, Ph.D., Professor, University of Pennsylvania, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economic Analysis, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice Steven Salop, Ph.D., Professor, Georgetown Law Center, former Associate Director for Special Projects, Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission Charlotte Slaiman, Competition Policy Director, Public Knowledge Christopher Yoo, Professor, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School DOJ Moderator: David Lawrence, Chief, Competition Policy & Advocacy Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice FTC Moderator: Andrew Sweeting, Director, Bureau of Economics, FTC |
|
View the welcome address by Makan Delrahim, opening remarks by Christine Wilson, and Panel 1Public Comment Submissions
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission sought public comment on the draft Vertical Merger Guidelines released on January 10, 2020. The deadline for submitting public comment was February 26, 2020. The public comment period is now closed.