WASHINGTON, March 20, 2017 — General David Petraeus (Ret.); Maureen K. Ohlhausen, acting chairman of the Federal Trade Commission; Alejandra Palacios Prieto, president, Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica; and Margrethe Vestager, commissioner of the European Union; are headliners for the 65th Annual Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law, March 29-31 in Washington, D.C. The conference will feature antitrust enforcement officials from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
March 20, 2017
Gen. David Petraeus, top antitrust enforcement officials to speak at ABA meeting in Washington
What: 65th Annual Spring Meeting
Presented by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law
When: March 29-31, 2017
Where: Marriott Marquis
901 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
Petraeus is the retired four-star Army General, commander of U.S. Central Command and director of Central Intelligence. He will be the keynote dinner speaker on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
Ohlhausen was appointed by President Trump as acting chair of the FTC, and has formed a task force to challenge occupational restraints in health care and other professions. Palacios Prieto has brought competition to major sectors of Mexico’s economy. Vestager has taken on some of the world’s biggest companies. They will share in the Enforcer’s Roundtable on Friday at 10 a.m.
The Section of Antitrust Law’s Spring Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of competition and consumer protection professionals and will include government enforcers and practitioners from more than 50 countries outside the United States. This year’s conference will bring together more than 3,000 enforcement officials, private attorneys, in-house corporate counsel, academics, judges, economists and business people to share knowledge about all aspects of competition and consumer protection law.
Program highlights include:
"Agency Update with the U.S. Department of Justice” — Hear directly from the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division deputy assistant attorneys general about the latest in civil enforcement, cartel cases and policy initiatives. Speakers representing the DOJ Antitrust Division include Patricia Brink, director of Civil Enforcement; Eric Mahr, director of Litigation; Robert Majure, economics director of Enforcement; and Marvin Price, director of Criminal Enforcement.
Wednesday, 9-10:30 a.m.
“What Brexit Means for Competition Law and Practice” — As the U.K. marches toward exit from the European Union, stakeholders need to understand the likely implications for antitrust policy and enforcement and to anticipate practicing in the new regime. This international panel will explore the world before and after Brexit, describe the risks and opportunities, and highlight the key areas of concern to businesses and policy makers. Speakers are Alison Jones, King’s College London, London; Philip Lowe, FTI Consulting, Inc., Brussels; Sheldon Mills, senior director, Mergers, Competition and Markets Authority, London; and James R. Modrall, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Brussels.
Wednesday, 3:30-5 p.m.
“Briefing with the State Enforcers” — Heads of antitrust and consumer protection bureaus from across the country discuss recent enforcement activities and the ongoing missions of state agencies. Panelists include moderator Kathleen Foote, California’s senior assistant attorney general; speakers Beau W. Buffier, chief, Antitrust Bureau, Office of the Attorney General, New York; Stacie L. Deblieux, Louisiana’s assistant attorney general; Eric Lipman, assistant attorney general in Texas; and Jennifer Thomson, Pennsylvania’s deputy attorney general.
Thursday, 8:30-10 a.m.
“Chair’s Showcase: Promoting Competition/Protecting Consumers: In Sync or at Odds?” — Consumer protection policy restrains trade. Competition policy prohibits trade restraints. How can the two be reconciled, and which authorities should do it? What arguments will influence the decisions? Section Chair William MacLeod will ask an expert panel — including Maureen K. Ohlhausen, acting FTC chairman; Timothy Muris, former head of UK’s Office of Fair Trade; John Fingleton, Fingleton Associates, London; Richard Parker, O’Melveny & Meyers; and Yale professor Fiona Scott Morton.
Thursday, 10:15 a.m.-noon
“Antitrust Enforcement Priorities for the New Administration” — Three months into the new administration: What do we know about President Trump’s antitrust enforcement priorities? What can we expect from the agencies in the years ahead? This panel will tackle those questions and discuss early indications of the administration’s legislative and enforcement priorities against the backdrop of the recommendations contained in the ABA Section of Antitrust Law’s 2017 Presidential Transition Report.
Thursday, 1:30-3 p.m.
“FCC, FTC, EU and the Internet of Things” — Some have estimated that by 2020, 50 billion devices will be connected to the internet. Privacy, technology and competition issues will be paramount in the full development of this Internet of Things. This panel will feature a primer on the promises of IoT, followed by a roundtable discussion with policy leaders from the FTC and Federal Communications Commission on the regulatory challenges presented. Speakers include Terrell McSweeny, FTC commissioner; and Jonathan Sallet, general counsel, FCC, Washington D.C.
Thursday, 1:30-3 p.m.
“View From the Bench on Merger Cases” — Significant merger cases have gone to trial over the last several years. Hear from the judges who have presided over some of these challenging and rigorously contested cases as they discuss lessons and observations. Speakers include Judge William H. Orrick III, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco; Judge Dan A. Polster, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Cleveland; and Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, 1:30-3 p.m.
“Agency Update with the FTC Bureau Directors” — Hear directly from the FTC directors of the Bureau of Competition (Abbott B. Lipsky, Jr. acting director), Bureau of Consumer Protection (Thomas B. Pahl, acting director) and Bureau of Economics (Ginger Zhe Jin, director) about the latest in antitrust and consumer protection enforcement and policy initiatives.
Friday, 8:15-9:45 a.m.
“Enforcers Roundtable” — Section Chair William MacLeod will lead an in-depth conversation with leading competition authorities about their enforcement priorities and the transactions, investigations and cases that are making headlines. Roundtable speakers are Victor J. Domen, chair, Multistate Antitrust Task Force, National Association of Attorneys General, Nashville, Tenn.; Maureen K. Ohlhausen, acting chairman, FTC; Alejandra Palacios Prieto, president, Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica (COFECE), Mexico City; Brent Snyder, acting assistant attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Washington, D.C.; and Margrethe Vestager, commissioner for Competition, European Commission, Brussels.
Friday, 10 a.m.-noon
A complete agenda and updated list of speakers can be found online.
There is no charge for media covering this event. To register, please contact Robert Robinson at 202-662-1097 or Robert.Robinson@americanbar.org.
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement on line. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.