Robinson+Cole has a long history of advising international and domestic companies to proactively identify and avoid  antitrust, trade regulation and consumer protection exposure. Our lawyers are experienced in business counseling on complex antitrust issues, as well as in litigating significant antitrust cases. Our experience, which includes an emphasis on cost-efficient and business-focused practical solutions, is well-suited to rein in the spiraling amounts of alleged damages, the drag on management attention, and the defense costs associated with the trend of increasing activity by enforcement authorities, competitors, and individual or class plaintiffs. The Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law team attorneys are well-versed in the direct and indirect restrictions on marketing and distribution of products and services, including:

• All aspects of the merger clearance process, including pre-transaction counseling, due diligence, preparation of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act filings, and Second Requests and coordination with foreign counsel on foreign competition filings
• Advertising and promotional programs including manufacturer’s suggested resale price (MSRP) and minimum advertised price (MAP) policies
• Price discrimination
• Customer and territory restrictions
• Joint ventures
• Competitor contacts and collaborations
• Distribution and marketing strategies, including exclusive dealing contracts
• Discounts, promotional allowances, and other incentive programs
• Unfair trade practices
• Promotional programs, contests, and sweepstakes
• Compliance and training programs, including programs that address the antitrust risks of using artificial intelligence in pricing strategies

Our antitrust lawyers have extensive experience litigating and trying a wide variety of civil antitrust claims, including:

• Grand jury investigation and criminal prosecution for alleged antitrust violations
• Defending corporations and executives against allegations of price fixing, bid rigging, and market/customer allocations made by antitrust agencies or competitors
• Litigating and/or negotiating favorable settlements in private litigation arising out of alleged antitrust misconduct
• State and federal civil investigative demands

Because it is not uncommon for antitrust matters to implicate other substantive legal areas, Robinson+Cole typically leverages the knowledge and experience of colleagues whose practices focus on government enforcement and white-collar criminal defense, data privacy, intellectual property licensing, health care, and manufacturing for a multi-disciplinary approach.