Antitrust Law
This course will provide an overview of the antitrust laws and will illustrate the antitrust issues that face businesses on a daily basis. The antitrust enforcement authorities believe that preserving competition provides the best mechanism for allocating economic resources, and that preventing unreasonable restraints of trade will benefit consumers by yielding high-quality, low priced goods and services and result in greater innovation. We will examine the value of competitive markets and the role antitrust law plays in addressing problems posed by mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, monopolies, and other competitive collaborations across a wide variety of industries (including various aspects of the health care industry). We will also assess the antitrust implications of certain contracting practices such as exclusive dealing, non-compete clauses, and the impact of various other strategic business decisions. The subject matter is organized topically and will entail a discussion of competition theory and the practical application of those antitrust principles to everyday fact patterns, with a special emphasis on providing students real-world experience as they analyze antitrust issues routinely faced by antitrust practitioners.