Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has appointed Vinicius Marques de Carvalho as president of the Council for Economic Defence (CADE) and Carlos Emmanuel Joppert Ragazzo as the agency’s general superintendent.

Forthcoming changes to Brazil’s antitrust laws have already contributed to at least one law firm merger, with competition law boutique Lanna Peixoto Advogados merging with Araújo e Policastro in an attempt to bolster the new firm’s antitrust capabilities.

The US agencies “would love to explore the bounds of retail price maintenance” (RPM) and companies should expect aggressive treatment as the authorities look for a suitable case, David Wales at Jones Day in Washington, DC, said on a GCR panel yesterday.

As the International Competition Network comes closer to a multi-agency framework for merger review, counsel have been urged by the heads of Canada and Japan’s competition agencies not to prioritise the largest jurisdictions when filing a merger, calling it a very risky strategy. Clare Bolton in Rio de Janeiro.

Settling behavioural cases is an important part of freeing up agency resources, but authorities must be careful deterrence doesn't slip in the process, according to a panel at the 11th annual International Competition Network conference yesterday. Clare Bolton in Rio de Janeiro.

Preventing, detecting and prosecuting bid rigging rings often requires extensive outreach efforts to help raise awareness and foster cooperation among procurement officials, contractors and public prosecutors, a panel of top cartel enforcers said today. Ron Knox in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s Council for Economic Defence (CADE) has ordered steelmaker Cia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) to stop increasing its shares in competitor Usinas Siderurgicas while the authority conducts a detailed assessment of the competition environment.

While Brazil’s new antitrust law is a step in the right direction, aspects of it continue to raise concerns for businesses, according to a leading in-house lawyer. Rosie Scammell in São Paulo.

Following the promulgation of Brazil’s new antitrust law, the Council for Economic Defence (CADE) has published new rules outlining its updated merger control procedures.

Brazil’s Secretariat of Economic Law (SDE) has opened an investigation of telecoms company Oi over allegations it abused its dominance and used discriminatory practices against rival internet service providers.

Olavo Chinaglia delivered his first press conference as interim president of Brazil’s Council for Economic Defence (CADE) today. As commissioner, he will oversee the critical period before significant changes to Brazil’s antitrust law come into effect on 29 May.

Brazil’s Secretariat of Economic Law (SDE) says that members of two truck transportation associations operating out of the country’s largest port may have used acts of violence – including on at least one occasion throwing Molotov cocktails at rivals – as a way to enforce a cartel for fertiliser shipments.

Two Brazilian shopping comparison websites have filed a complaint with the country’s antitrust enforcers against online search leader Google for allegedly favouring its own product listings in shopping search results.

Sorcha O’Carroll has joined the London office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as an associate in its competition group. O’Carroll moved from McMillan in Toronto.

Brazil’s Council for Economic Defence (CADE) has approved a US$3.2 billion merger between Brazilian airline TAM and Chilean flag carrier LAN – but lawyers say time will tell whether conditions imposed are sufficient to prevent excessive concentration on certain routes serviced by the new company.