WASHINGTON, March 5, 2019 — Leading enforcement officials from the Americas, Britain, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim will be among the speakers participating in the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law 2019 Spring Meeting, March 27-29 in Washington, D.C.
What:
Antitrust Law 2019 Spring Meeting
Sponsored by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law
When:
Wednesday-Friday, March 27-29
Where:
Marriott Marquis
901 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Two featured events of the three-day conference are the Chair’s Showcase on Competition, Social Media and Digital Services, on Thursday, March 28, from 10:15 a.m. to noon, and the Enforcers Roundtable on Friday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Chair’s Showcase will feature a speaker from the White House and three of the most active jurisdictions outside the United States:
- Abigail A. Slater, special assistant to President Donald Trump for technology, telecom and cyber
- Isabelle De Silva, présidente, Autorité de la Concurrence, France
- Konrad Ost, vice president, Bundeskartellamt, Germany
- Rodney G. Sims, chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Speaking on the Enforcers Roundtable will be:
- Makan Delrahim, assistant attorney general for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice
- Sarah Oxenham Allen, chair, Multistate Antitrust Task Force, National Association of Attorneys General
- Alejandra Palacios Prieto, president, la Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica (COFECE), Mexico
- Joseph J. Simons, chairman, U.S. Federal Trade Commission
- Margrethe Vestager, vice president and commissioner, DG Competition, European Commission
The Section of Antitrust Law’s Spring Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of competition and consumer protection professionals. The conference will bring together more than 3,000 government enforcement officials, private attorneys, in-house corporate counsel, academics, judges, economists and business people from more than 60 countries to share knowledge about all aspects of competition and consumer protection law.
Other program highlights include:
“Agency Update with the U.S. Department of Justice” — This panel of DOJ Antitrust Division deputy assistant attorneys general — Roger P. Alford, Andrew C. Finch, Michael F. Murray, Bernard A. Nigro and Richard M. Powers — will discuss the latest in civil enforcement, cartel cases and policy initiatives.
Wednesday, 9-10:15 a.m.
“China: Looking Back and Looking Forward” — Few antitrust regimes make changes as fundamental as China has by merging three antitrust authorities into one. Zhenguo Wu, director general of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, will provide thoughts and reflections on both the past decade and what the future holds for competition enforcement in China.
Wednesday, 1:45-3:15 p.m.
“Views from the Bench-Mergers” — Hear from the judges who have presided over some of the most challenging and rigorously contested merger cases in the past several years as they discuss lessons and observations from the bench. Speakers are judges Trevor McFadden, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.; Sue L. Robinson, retired senior judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Wilmington; and Gerald Bard Tjoflat, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, Jacksonville, Fla.
Wednesday, 3:30-5 p.m.
“Briefing with the State Enforcers” — Join panelists who represent antitrust and consumer protection bureaus from across the country as they discuss recent enforcement activities and the ongoing missions of state enforcement agencies. Speakers are Gwendolyn J. Cooley, assistant attorney general for Antitrust, Office of the Attorney General, Madison, Wis.; Linda J. Conti, chief, consumer protection division, Office of the Attorney General, Augusta, Maine; Kathleen E. Foote, senior assistant attorney general, Office of the Attorney General, San Francisco; and Paula L. Gibson, deputy attorney general, Office of the Attorney General, Los Angeles.
Thursday, 8:30-10 a.m.
“Consumer Protection Litigation: U.S. Trends and Developments” — An expert panel from the judiciary, private bar and in-house explores recent case trends in the U.S., including the use of communication surveys, approaches to the reasonable consumer’s standard, deceptive pricing lawsuits, social media advertising, developments under the California Consumer Remedies Act and models for damages. Speakers include Judge Jon S. Tigar, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco.
Thursday, 1:30-3 p.m.
“Agency Update with the FTC Bureau Directors” — This panel of Federal Trade Commission directors will discuss the latest in antitrust and consumer protection enforcement and policy initiatives. Speakers are FTC directors D. Bruce Hoffman, Bureau of Competition; Bruce H. Kobayashi, Bureau of Economics; and Andrew M. Smith, Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Friday, 8:30-9:45 a.m.
The complete schedule can be viewed online.
This event is open to members of the press. For media credentialing, please contact Robert Robinson at Robert.Robinson@americanbar.org.
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