Video
Let's talk antitrust: Discussing recent cases and emerging competition issues
Recent cases and judgments have shone a light on some emerging themes and trends that companies will want to consider as part of their risk management framework.
United States | Publication | April 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, many cities have passed ordinances providing hazard or "hero pay" to essential workers, typically amounting to an extra US$4 to US$5 per hour. Recently, Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County passed such ordinances, following the likes of Berkeley, Buena Park, Coachella, Daly, Montebello, Oakland, San Jose, San Leandro, Seattle, and West Hollywood. One city, Long Beach, passed its "hero pay" ordinance on January 19, 2021, requiring large grocery stores in the city to provide each grocery worker with premium pay of an additional US$4 per hour for each hour worked for a minimum of 120 days. On January 20, 2021, the California Grocers Association (CGA) filed suit against the City of Long Beach, contending its "hero pay" ordinance was preempted by the National Labor Relations Act and violated the Equal Protection and Contracts clauses of the U.S. and California constitutions. On February 25, 2021, the District Court denied CGA's request for a preliminary injunction finding CGA was unlikely to prevail on its preemption, equal protection and contract clause claims.
CGA has now appealed the District Court's decision to the Ninth Circuit. With more and more cities passing "hero pay" ordinances, all eyes will be on the Ninth Circuit to see how it rules on this appeal.
Video
Recent cases and judgments have shone a light on some emerging themes and trends that companies will want to consider as part of their risk management framework.
Publication
After a lacklustre finish to 2022 when compared to the vintage year for M&A that was 2021, dealmakers expected 2023 to see the market continue to cool in most sectors, in response to the economic headwinds of rising inflation (with its corresponding impact on financing costs), declining market valuations, tightening regulatory scrutiny and increasing geopolitical tensions.
Publication
On 18 September 2023, the CMA published its Initial Report (Initial Report) on AI Foundation Models (FM), supplemented in April 2024 with the publication of its “Update Paper” focused on potential antitrust risks associated with FMs and a “Technical Update Report” providing more detail on the development on FMs (collectively the “Reports”). Below, we consider these CMA publications.
Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest legal news, information and events . . .
© Norton Rose Fulbright LLP 2023