FTCWatch
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July 08, 2025
People — Forman to focus on M&A, AI at Latham & Watkins
Andrew Forman, who left the Department of Justice as one of its top antitrust enforcers roughly six months ago, is back in private practice at Latham & Watkins. He hopes to counsel clients on a wide range of matters including mergers, algorithmic collusion and broadly on AI.
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July 08, 2025
Ex-FTC attorneys’ boutique firm to push boundaries of antitrust enforcement
Simonsen Sussman LLP, a new boutique law firm recently launched by former antitrust enforcers from the Federal Trade Commission, seeks to “fill significant gaps” and push the boundaries of enforcement while pursuing creative legal theories.
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July 08, 2025
Bedoya begins new role at American Economic Liberties Project
Alvaro Bedoya, a former member of the Federal Trade Commission, has joined the American Economic Liberties Project as a senior advisor.
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July 08, 2025
After case dismissed, nasal spray maker sues FTC
In possibly the first case of its kind challenging FTC Act enforcement, a nasal spray maker sued the Federal Trade Commission on June 18. This comes just months after the government and the company agreed to dismiss litigation the FTC had brought during the pandemic.
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July 08, 2025
Supreme Court orders circuit court reviews of FTC’s horseracing oversight
The Supreme Court is asking three appeals courts to review their prior rulings on the constitutionality of the Federal Trade Commission’s oversight of horseracing safety.
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July 08, 2025
Calendar
July 24 — The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are holding a joint virtual listening session at 2 p.m. ET on “Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition.” For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/06/ftc-doj-host-listening-sessions-lowering-americans-drug-prices-through-competition?utm_source=govdelivery.
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July 08, 2025
‘Made in the USA’ month kicks off
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has proclaimed July as “Made in the USA” month.
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July 08, 2025
Former crypto platform CEO settles with FTC for $2.8 million
Stephen Ehrlich, former chief executive of crypto platform Voyager Digital, agreed to a $2.8 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission to resolve claims of misleading consumers.
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July 08, 2025
Business owner sentenced for bid-rigging, wire fraud schemes
Kris Bird, owner of a fuel truck supply company, was sentenced to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period, the Department of Justice said.
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July 08, 2025
Alcoa ruling still shaping antitrust law 80 years later
When judges try to determine whether a company has illegally monopolized a market, they often adopt reasoning and analysis from a case decided 80 years ago that broke new ground concerning antitrust law.
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July 08, 2025
Neil Averitt commentary: Kids on the Internet — Clear problems, unclear solutions
Everyone can see that excessive screen time is bad for young children and teenagers. Many concrete remedies have been proposed and discussed. But some of the specific proposals seem like a poor fit for the problem.
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July 08, 2025
Identity theft climbs but fewer turn to national nonprofit for help
A new report shows a steep decline in people turning to a national nonprofit that assists victims of identity theft. Meanwhile, Federal Trade Commission data reveals identity theft is on the rise.
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July 08, 2025
Former executive sentenced over asphalt bid-rigging conspiracies
Bruce F. Israel, former vice president of Asphalt Specialists, has been sentenced to six months in prison and a $500,000 fine for his role in multiple conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan, the Department of Justice announced.
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July 08, 2025
On the Shelf: Dershowitz’s ounce of prevention
Controversial legal scholar Alan Dershowitz wants to retool the law to make it better at preventing harm and wrongdoing.
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July 08, 2025
Author Q&A: MIT professor’s book explores origins of ‘Amazon economy’
Opening the final section of MIT political science professor Kathleen Thelen’s new book is a quote from a 2021 New York Times report: Amazon “eclipsed Walmart to become the world’s largest retail seller outside China.”
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July 08, 2025
Senators want probe of Spotify’s bundling practices
Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ben R. Luján are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Spotify’s decision to convert premium subscriptions into higher-priced bundled subscriptions without telling consumers.
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July 08, 2025
As FTC pulls back, private attorneys take up Robinson-Patman revival
With new government enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act, or RPA, expected to be all but dead for the foreseeable future, it will now be up to private plaintiffs to galvanize litigation of price-discrimination cases. A handful of lawyers, including former antitrust enforcers from the Federal Trade Commission, are looking to do just that, but they are likely to face challenges in court.
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June 24, 2025
Khan, ex-FTC officials say they left ‘durable blueprint’ for digital privacy enforcement
Between 2022 and this January, the Federal Trade Commission carried out an unprecedented burst of data protection enforcement, with many of those cases based on the agency’s powers to police “unfair” business practices under the FTC Act.
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June 24, 2025
Legal, regulatory woes could mark new era for influencers
Social media influencers commanding millions of followers descended upon luxury hotels lining the French Riviera last week for Cannes Lions, the ad world’s premier gathering.
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June 24, 2025
Walmart to pay $10 million to settle claims over wire fraud
Walmart has agreed to pay $10 million to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s claims that the retail giant let scammers use its in-store money transfer services to defraud hundreds of millions of dollars from consumers.
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June 24, 2025
Calendar
July 9 — The Federal Trade Commission is holding a workshop on “The Dangers of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Minors.” It will be held in Washington, DC, and will be streamed online. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov.
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June 24, 2025
Neil Averitt commentary: Where does antitrust fit in Trump’s drug pricing plan?
President Donald Trump has initiated a campaign to fight international price discrimination concerning pharmaceuticals by getting Americans the benefits of most-favored-nation status. The antitrust agencies are helping in this project, but it looks like their role will be limited.
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June 24, 2025
Groups urge FTC, state AGs to investigate AI therapy bots
Consumer, labor and privacy organizations have asked the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate what they allege are unfair and deceptive practices by companies using AI therapy bots.
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June 24, 2025
Portion of I-85 named after former FTC Commissioner Elizabeth Dole
Interstate 85 stretches over 600 miles, including through former Senator Elizabeth Hanford Dole’s native North Carolina.
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June 24, 2025
People
Longtime FTC attorney leaves agency for DLA Piper