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Expert Analysis

• FTC's Amgen-Horizon Protest Raises Conglomerate Concerns

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's challenge to Amgen Inc.'s proposed $28 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics is the agency's first move in four decades based on a conglomerate theory of competitive harm, and might pose new antitrust risks for transactions beyond the pharmaceutical sector, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• 5 Management Tips To Keep Law Firm Merger Talks Moving

  

  Many law firm mergers that make solid business sense still fall apart due to the costs and frustrations of inefficient negotiations, but firm managers can increase the chance of success by effectively planning and executing merger discussions, say Lisa Smith and Kristin Stark at Fairfax Associates.

• What 3rd Circ. Niaspan Decision Means For Class Cert.

  

  The Third Circuit's recent denial of class certification in the Niaspan antitrust case underscores its particularly stringent understanding of the implicit ascertainability requirement, which further fuels confusion in the courts, threatens uneven results and increases the risk of forum shopping, says Michael Lazaroff at Rimon Law.

• The Texas Two-Step May Be Losing Steam

  

  The Texas Two-Step is a powerful bankruptcy strategy that has been used in recent high-profile cases, including Johnson & Johnson’s talc unit bankruptcy case, but ongoing debate and legal challenges raise the question of whether this maneuver is losing reliability, say Brendan Best and Justin Allen at Varnum.

• FTC Pharma Merger Digest May Offer Policy Clues

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's and the U.S. Justice Department's recently published summary of the agencies' workshop on proposed changes to pharmaceutical merger analysis reads like a policy roadmap and its timing may forecast the release of new draft merger guidelines, say attorneys at Mintz.

• Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention

  

  The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

• Avoiding Antitrust Enforcement In Health Care Joint Ventures

  

  Considering the Federal Trade Commission's recent activity in challenging hospital combinations, health care companies must be mindful of antitrust considerations unique to the industry, and employ strategies to minimize enforcement risks, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Murdaugh Trials Offer Law Firms Fraud Prevention Reminders

  

  As the fraud case against Alex Murdaugh continues to play out, the evidence and narrative presented at his murder trial earlier this year may provide lessons for law firms on implementing robust internal controls that can detect and prevent similar kinds of fraud, say Travis Casner and Helga Zauner at Weaver and Tidwell.

• Check Onboarding Docs To Protect Arbitration Agreements

  

  The California Court of Appeal's recent Alberto v. Cambrian Homecare decision opens a new and unexpected avenue of attack on employment arbitration agreements in California — using other employment-related agreements to render otherwise enforceable arbitration agreements unenforceable, say Morgan Forsey and Ian Michalak at Sheppard Mullin.

• Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic

  

  Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.

• Fla. Foreign Real Estate Law Brings Broad Investment Risks

  

  Last month, Florida became the latest state to enact legislation prohibiting Chinese investors from acquiring certain interests in real property, introducing significant legal uncertainty and consequences for real estate stakeholders and the private equity industry, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Tackling Judge-Shopping Concerns While Honoring Localism

  

  As the debate continues over judge-shopping and case assignments in federal court, policymakers should look to a hybrid model that preserves the benefits of localism for those cases that warrant it, while preventing the appearance of judge-shopping for cases of a more national or widespread character, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

• How Attorneys Can Help Combat Anti-Asian Hate

  

  Amid an exponential increase in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, unique obstacles stand in the way of accountability and justice — but lawyers can effect powerful change by raising awareness, offering legal representation, advocating for victims’ rights and more, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.