ANTITRUST LAW SECTION

    Amid COVID-19, Spring Meeting becomes a virtual event

    April 13, 2020

    Faced with the possibility of canceling its popular Spring Meeting for the first time in its 68-year history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Antitrust Law Section will instead host an all-digital conference from April 17 to May 1. The conference, the largest gathering of competition and consumer protection professionals from around the world, is usually a four-day, in-person event with more than 70 sessions held in Washington, D.C.

    The Spring Meeting brings together more than 3,000 government officials, private attorneys, academics, judges and others from over 60 countries.

    The Spring Meeting brings together more than 3,000 government officials, private attorneys, academics, judges and others from over 60 countries.

    American Bar Association graphic

    The 68th Spring Meeting (Virtual) will offer 36 free online programs via livestream, podcasts and videocasts as well as virtual receptions spread out over 15 days. No registration is required. However, course materials are available to Antitrust Law Section members only. Except for the live-streamed events, sessions will be available on the various platforms for a limited time after the conference ends.

    “We can think of no better way to showcase the ingenuity and expertise of the Antitrust Law Section and bring together the global competition and consumer protection community than by offering an open Spring Meeting during these challenging circumstances,” Section Chair Brian Henry said.

    Programming will include many of the conference’s most popular events, such as the Enforcer’s Roundtable on Friday, April 24, from noon to 1:15 p.m. EDT. The roundtable will feature speakers Makan Delrahim, assistant attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Washington, D.C.; Joseph Simons, chairman, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C.; Margrethe Vestager, commissioner, European Commission, Brussels; Matthew Boswell, commissioner of competition, Canadian Competition Bureau, Gatineau, Quebec; and Sarah Oxenham Allen, senior assistant attorney general and antitrust unit manager, Office of the Attorney General, Richmond, Virginia.

    The Spring Meeting annually brings together more than 3,000 government enforcement officials, private attorneys, in-house corporate counsel, academics, judges, economists and businesspeople from more than 60 countries to share knowledge about all aspects of competition and consumer protection law.

    Members and non-members can access programming via several online platforms that can be found on the Antitrust Law website by clicking on the conference brochure.

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