The European Court of First Instance has upheld European Commision’s imposition of antitrust fines against Dutch chemical group Akzo Nobel and French oil group Elf Aquitaine for illegally sharing markets and fixing prices. The CFI, however, reduced the fine imposed Hoechst, a German chemical firm, by 10 percent to €66.63m.
Author Archives: Steve Semeraro
Dawn Raids on Spanish Cement Businesses
September 30, 2009 – 8:53 am
The European Commission inspected the premises of cement and related products businesses in Spain based on concerns about anticompetitive activity.
Interest Rate Fixing Ruling Upheld
September 30, 2009 – 8:52 am
The European Court of Justice has upheld a multi-million-euro fine imposed by the European Commission on Austrian banks (the so-called “Lombard Club”) for fixing interest rates.
Fines Imposed in Concrete Bar Cartel
September 30, 2009 – 8:50 am
The European Commission has imposed fines exceeding over €83m on eight companies for cartelizing the concrete reinforcing bar sector in Italy in violation of Article 65 (1) of the ECSC Treaty.
EU Court Rules Parent Liable for Conduct of Subsidiary
September 25, 2009 – 10:05 am
The European Union’s highest court upheld a €20.99million ($30.6 million) fine against Dutch chemical giant Akzo Nobel NV and four wholly owned subsidiaries for their alleged participation in a cartel over vitamin B4, used mainly in animal feed. Instead of requiring the parent company to play a direct role in violating competition rules, EU law […]
CFI Upholds EC Clearstream Ruling
September 25, 2009 – 10:02 am
The European Court of First Instance has tossed Deusche Borse AG subsidiary Clearstream Banking AG’s challenge of a European Commission decision finding that it abused its dominant market position. The court confirmed a 2004 EC decision finding that 1) Clearstream had a dominant position in the market for primary clearing and settlement; 2) Clearstream’s monopoly of […]
ATM Fee Challenged Dismissed With Leave to Amend
September 21, 2009 – 9:05 pm
In In re: ATM Fee Antitrust Litigation, Northern District of California Judge Charles R. Breyer has dismissed a putative antitrust action over fees charged by financial institutions in First Data Corp.’s ATM network, but giving the plaintiffs an opportunity to amend their claims. The complaint alleged a conspiracy to (1) fix interchange fees that the banks pay […]
WTO Issues Ruling on Airbus Subsidies
September 21, 2009 – 3:32 pm
The World Trade Organization has issued a long-awaited, but confidential, ruling in a dispute brought by Boeing Inc. over legality of billions of dollars of European Union subsidies given to French aircraft manufacturer Airbus SAS, reportedly finding that these subsidies, which Airbus received for building new aircraft, otherwise known as launch aid, were anti-competitive and broke […]
Court Upholds Jury Verdict Finding Petition in Opposition to Generic Drugs Baseless
September 21, 2009 – 3:25 pm
In Louisiana Drug Co. Inc. v. Sanofi-Aventis et al., Southern District of New York Judge Harold Baer Jr.refused to overturn a jury verdict or grant Louisiana Wholesale Drug Co. Inc. a new trial in an antitrust class action filed by the drug wholesaler. The case accused Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC of submitting a sham citizen petition to […]
Golf Package Monopolization Case Plaintiffs Must Show Inter-state Effects
September 10, 2009 – 9:41 am
In Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association v. Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Course Association et al., Southern District of Mississippi Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden has refused to dismiss a Mississippi hotel group’s claim against a local golf association alleging that the association sought to monopolize the golf package and hotel market by deterring hotels from participating in the MHLA’s golf voucher program and by running […]