President Barack Obama intends to nominate Arnold & Porter antitrust head William J Baer to become the new assistant attorney general in charge of the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division, the White House announced on Friday.

Arnold & Porter has promoted Sonia Pfaffenroth to partner in its antitrust practice in Washington, DC.

A US trade judge has rejected Barnes & Noble’s claim that Microsoft is using its patents to distort competition in a dispute related to the use of Google's Android.

Health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has asked a federal court in Detroit to dismiss a competitor’s antitrust lawsuit against it, claiming that it is unjustified and potential damages would be “unsustainable”.

Two automotive parts manufacturers have agreed to pay a total of US$548 million in fines and four executives will serve prison terms in what has become the largest antitrust investigation, in both scope and economic impact, in US history.

The US Federal Trade Commission has sued to block Omnicare’s hostile bid for its rival PharMerica, saying a merger of the country’s two largest long-term care pharmacies had the potential to harm competition.

Lawyers for two rival powder paint companies have won the right to transfer the US Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit attempting to block their merger out of federal court in Washington, DC.

Eastman Chemical has agreed to buy its competitor Solutia for a total value of US$4.7 billion.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP has poached two antitrust lawyers from rivals in Washington, DC.

The US judge hearing an antitrust lawsuit brought against seven Silicon Valley companies for their “non-poaching” agreements has said she will allow the case to go forward, but might break it into separate suits.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it will not seek a Supreme Court judgment on its monopolisation case against pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, marking the end of a protracted antitrust battle.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis Pozen has informed the US Department of Justice that she will be stepping down as head of the antitrust division in April, leaving the Obama Administration just three months to get new division leadership confirmed in the Senate.

Crowell & Moring has promoted Sean-Paul Brankin to partner in its Brussels’ antitrust practice and Ryan Tisch to partner in its Washington, DC antitrust office.

Plaintiffs have presented new evidence of “non-poaching” agreements between Apple and other high-tech Silicon Valley companies, in a US antitrust class action in California, including emails in which Palm’s chief-executive told Apple’s Steve Jobs that the practice was “likely illegal”.