Trust and Trade

In this heavy metal episode of Trust and Trade, we dive into the landmark case of Ozzy Osbourne vs. AEG, exploring how the Prince of Darkness challenged monopolistic practices in concert ticketing. Gwendolyn Lindsay Cooley and Travis Wheeler join host Anant Raut to talk about the evolution in analyzing unlawful tying claims since this historic case, and whether nimbler approaches are possible. All...

When President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canada, one of its biggest trading partners, it kicked off a series of back-and-forth tariffs between the two countries. As a result of the ensuing uncertainty, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has emphasized the importance of reducing Canada's reliance on the United States as a trading partner, announcing a new trade deal with China during a recent v...

What exactly do we mean by the term "killer acquisitions," and how are those deals analyzed any differently by antitrust enforcers? In this episode, host Anant Raut talks to economist Dr. Ethel Fonseca of RBB Economics and antitrust attorney Danny Mader of Hogan Lovells LLP about how potential "killer acquisitions" get reviewed by competition agencies, using real-world examples such as Sabre/Farel...

How do tariffs redefine product markets? In this episode, economist Dr. Craig Malam and antitrust expert Carla Hine join host Anant Raut to discuss the effect of the Trump Administration's tariff-centric trade policy on how we determine the edges of a product market and what constitutes a substitutable product. Panelists then talk about what economists and defense counsel should take into account...

Enforcers and policymakers have raised concerns that dominant firms like Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Meta are extending their market power into AI by taking stakes in some of the most promising startups. In this episode, economist Dr. Elizabeth Wang and antitrust litigator Daniel Culley join me to discuss how economists measure the risk that a dominant firm could acquire its way into dominance...

What's behind the rise of private antitrust litigation in the Asia Pacific? Host Anant Raut talks to experts Kirsten Webb and Toshiaki Tada about the resurgence of follow-on cartel litigation in Japan and abuse of a dominant position cases in Australia. They also discuss the impact of Big Tech litigation, the complexities of proving damages, and the propensity towards settlements. Listen to learn...

The rules for foreign investment in Europe are changing. In this episode of Trust and Trade, Bryan Cave LLP's Christine Graham and AmCham EU's Andrew Hill join host Anant Raut to talk about the reasons behind the revisions - protecting critical assets and technologies, a need for uniformity across member states - and walk listeners through the intricate steps of the European legislative process. W...

In this latest episode in our Mergernomics series, we examine how attorneys and economists try to quantify the benefits of a merger, aka "efficiencies." Antitrust expert Brazil's Paula Camara and economist Silvia Faga de Almeida join host Anant Raut to discuss why efficiencies sometimes lower prices and why they sometimes don't, how economists measure them, which ones enforcers will accept and why...

Why is Michael Jordan's racing team suing NASCAR? MJ's 23XI team and Bob Jenkins' Front Row have been locked in a heated antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR over the charter system at the heart of the Cup Series, with the case set to go to trial on Dec 1, 2025. Brooklyn Law School Professor Jodi Balsam joins host Anant Raut and co-host Sathya Gosselin to talk about the history of NASCAR, the legal issue...

How is South Korea reshaping AI regulation? In this episode, D&A's Yaera Jeon joins hosts Anant Raut, Rory Macmillan, and Nina Jayne Carroll to unpack South Korea's new AI Framework Act, the first comprehensive national AI regulation in Asia. They talk about its competing policy goals, broad extraterritorial reach, and compliance obligations for high-impact AI systems. They also discuss the govern...

What makes the price charged by a digital platform illegal? Host Anant Raut talks to antitrust economists Tasneem Chipty and Michael Katz about the legality of high and low prices, cross-platform network effects, and contentious practices like predatory pricing and bundled discounts. Learn how antitrust law looks at MFNs, "free" online services, and two-sided markets in this spellbinding episode!...

Should Big Tech companies be required to open up their intellectual property when they break the antitrust laws? In this episode of Trust and Trade, experts debate whether requiring Apple to open up its app store restrictions, or Google to license its search data and divest Android, reduce incentives to innovate or are necessary to restore competitive balance. DuckDuckGo's Joe Jerome and economist...

How is Brazil shaping AI regulation in the Global South? Our latest episode explores the Brazil AI Act, which if passed would become the first comprehensive federal AI regulation in the world to require AI companies to pay creators for using their work to train their systems. Pinheiro Neto Advogados's Raphael de Cunto joins host Anant Raut and co-hosts Rory Macmillan and Nina Jayne Carroll for a c...

How will the "Brussels effect" shape AI regulation across the rest of the globe? Europe is once again the first to regulate a new digital market, with the adoption of the AI Act. But was it passed too hastily? N-Square's Caroline De Cock joins host Anant Raut and guest co-hosts Rory Macmillan and Nina Jayne Carroll to discuss what we know the AI Act requires, what remains ambiguous, and the parts...

How are different countries shaping the future of AI? We start a brand-new series on Trust and Trade examining different regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence around the world. In this kickoff episode, experts Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Anu Bradford debate strong vs light regulatory approaches to AI and explain "the Brussels effect." Will regulating too much/too soon quash innovation?...

Can defendants now wield the "quick look" test to beat antitrust claims? In this episode of Trust and Trade, experts unpack the meaning of Justice Gorsuch's language in the Supreme Court's Alston decision, and debate whether "quick look condemnation" is a game-changer or just rare dicta. Tune in for real-world insights and lively discussion featuring former FTC Commissioner Terry Calvani and Jones...

Thinking about investing in Australia? This episode of Trust and Trade dives into Australia's sweeping new merger control reforms and their impact on foreign investment. Antitrust partner Kirsten Webb and Department of Treasury's (AUS) Annalisa Heger break down the changes, from mandatory filings to faster reviews, and how they interact with existing foreign investment controls. Stay ahead of the...

Can antitrust law keep up with the rapidly evolving space industry? This episode of Trust and Trade examines the challenges in maintaining a level playing field in space travel, satellite launches, and deep-space exploration. Space law expert Maria Rhimbassen and antitrust expert Dylan Carson join Anant Raut and co-host Amanda Norton to discuss government intervention, market monopolization, and t...

Has the entrance of DeepSeek completely disrupted competition in AI? App developer Scott Weiner and antitrust expert Elyse Dorsey discuss the concentration concerns at every level of the AI stack. Later we examine whether the emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, completely changes how we think about what is needed to compete at the app level in AI. We conclude by looking ahead to where the...

Do you find it unnerving when ads follow you around the internet? Today's episode reveals how websites monetize user behavior through advertising technologies such as tracking pixels. Our panel of advertising and privacy experts explain how ad re-targeting works, and debate the Federal Trade Commission's guidance on improper use of pixel technology and the potential impact on businesses and consum...

In this episode, experts dive into the novel approach of adding racketeering charges in private antitrust litigation. Initially used to bring down organized crime rings, claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) have appeared in plaintiffs' lawsuits in the LIBOR and broiler chicken price-fixing cases. Host Anant Raut and co-host Sam Randall of Sperling Kenny Nachtw...

In this latest episode of our wildly popular "Mergernomics" series, Ph. D. economist Dr. Joanna Tsai explains diversion analysis, an economic tool used by antitrust enforcers to examine how closely two companies compete and whether their merger will be bad for consumers. Host Anant Raut and co-host Carla Hine then dive into different types of diversion analysis, as well as some of the limitations...

In the latest episode of our popular "Mergernomics" series, Ted Rosenbaum, Deputy Director in the Bureau of Economics at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, explains how enforcers apply merger simulations to predict market changes after a proposed merger, sometimes with unexpected results. Hosts Anant Raut and Virginie Caspard then dive into two enforcement actions (against the Aetna-Humana and Wil...

In the latest episode in our popular "Mergernomics" series, Compass Lexecon's Hélder Vasconcelos tells you everything you need to know about bargaining leverage theory - how to calculate it, what it means, and when to use it. Hosts Anant Raut and Paula Camara discuss with Dr. Vasconcelos how merger enforcers applied this theory in their reviews of the AT&T/Time Warner and Fresenius/NxStage mergers...

By now in our popular "Mergernomics" series you've learned how to calculate the potential harm from a horizontal merger; but how do you measure the risk from a vertical merger? In this episode, Cornerstone Research's Dr. Craig Malam tells you everything you need to know about "Vertical Math" analysis in merger review - how to calculate it, what it tells you, and when to use it. Hosts Anant Raut an...