FTC/DOJ to Host Joint Workshop on Merger Enforcement

The Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced topics, times, and locations, along with a tentative list of participants for their joint workshop on merger enforcement. The workshop, which will be held on February 17-19, 2004, at the FTC’s new conference center at 601 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC, are open to the public. Seating at the workshop will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Written comments may be submitted to the FTC prior to the event. A tentative agenda for the workshop is presented below. Updated versions of this agenda will be available up to the time of the workshop at: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/02/mergerworkshopagenda.pdf.

Day 1 (2/17)

9:00–9:45
Opening Remarks
Timothy J. Muris, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
R. Hewitt Pate, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division,
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

10:00–12:00
Hypothetical Monopolist Test
Moderator: Gregory J. Werden (DOJ)
Panel: William Blumenthal (King & Spalding), John D. Harkrider (Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider), Barry C. Harris (Economists, Inc.), Willard K. Tom (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius).

1:30–3:30
Concentration & Market Shares
Moderator: David S. Sibley (DOJ)
Panel: John E. Kwoka, Jr. (Northeastern University), Janet L. McDavid (Hogan & Hartson), Steven A. Newborn (Weil, Gotshal & Manges), Craig M. Newmark (North Carolina State University), Charles F. “Rick” Rule (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson), Vincent Verouden (European Commission, DG Comp.).

3:45–5:00
Monopsony
Moderator: Kenneth Heyer (DOJ)
Panel: Peter Carstensen (University of Wisconsin), Marius Schwartz (Georgetown University), C. Robert Taylor (Auburn University).

Day 2 (2/18)

9:00–10:15
Non-Price Competition/Innovation
Moderator: Mark W. Frankena (FTC)
Panel: Ann Malester (Weil, Gotshal & Manges), Richard T. Rapp (NERA), Steven C. Sunshine (Shearman & Sterling), Ronald W. Davis.

10:30–12:30
Unilateral Effects
Moderator: Luke M. Froeb (FTC)
Panel: Joseph Kattan (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher), Gregory K. Leonard (NERA), Abbott B. “Tad” Lipsky, Jr. (Latham & Watkins), Ariel Pakes (Harvard University), Gregory J. Werden (Justice Department), Valerie Rabassa (EC/DG Comp.).

1:45–3:45
Coordinated Effects
Moderator: Michael H. Knight (FTC)
Panel: Jonathan B. Baker (American Unversity), Andrew R. Dick (Charles River Associates), Deborah A. Garza (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson), Deborah P. Majoras (Jones Day Reavis & Pogue), Steven C. Salop (Georgetown University), David T. Scheffman (LECG).

4:00–5:15
Uncommitted Entry
Moderator: Theodore Gebhard (FTC)
Panel: Timothy Daniel (NERA), A. Douglas Melamed (Wilmer Cutler Pickering), Frederick R. Warren-Boulton (MiCRA), Mark D. Whitener (General Elec. Co.).

Day 3 (2/19)

9:00–12:00
Efficiencies/Dynamic Analysis/Integrated Analysis
Moderators: Alden F. Abbott & Mary T. Coleman (FTC)
Panel: J. Mark Gidley (White & Case), Ilene Knable Gotts (Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz), William J. Kolasky (Wilmer Cutler Pickering), Robert Pitofsky (Georgetown University), David T. Scheffman (LECG), Joseph J. Simons (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison), Vincent Verouden (EC/DG Comp.).

1:30–4:30
Economists and Lawyers’ Roundtable
Moderator: R. Hewitt Pate (DOJ)
Panel: William Baer (Arnold & Porter), Jonathan B. Baker (American University), Wayne D. “Dale” Collins (Shearman & Sterling), James Loftis (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher), James F. Rill (Howrey & Simon), Daniel L. Rubinfeld (University of California, Berkeley), Robert D. Willig (Princeton University), Dennis W. Carlton (University of Chicago).

Call-in Information

Reporters and others unable to attend the workshop may call in at the following toll-free numbers. Please note, there is a different call-in number and confirmation number for each day of the workshop: Tuesday – 800-473-8493, confirmation number 21829088; Wednesday – 800-473-8492, confirmation number 21829092; and
Thursday – 800-659-8296, confirmation number 21829097. The lines will open at 7:45 am on each day of the conference. The chairperson of each conference call is Bruce Jennings.

Copies of this press release, the workshop agenda, and the Commission’s recently released merger-related data issued on December 18, 2003 and February 2, 2004 can be found on the FTC’s Web site at www.ftc.gov. The FTC’s Bureau of Competition seeks to prevent business practices that restrain competition. The Bureau carries out its mission by investigating alleged law violations and, when appropriate, recommending that the Commission take formal enforcement action. To notify the Bureau concerning particular business practices, call or write the Office of Policy and Evaluation, Room 394, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Washington, DC 20580, Electronic Mail: antitrust@ftc.gov; Telephone (202) 326-3300. For more information on the laws that the Bureau enforces, the Commission has published “Promoting Competition, Protecting Consumers: A Plain English Guide to Antitrust Laws,” which can be accessed at http://www.ftc.gov/bc/compguide/index.htm.