Practice Areas & Industries: Akerman Senterfitt

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group at Akerman Senterfitt is made up of attorneys with a broad range of experience, including prosecuting and defending treble damages lawsuits, responding to civil and criminal investigations by federal and state enforcement authorities, providing antitrust counseling to businesses, preparing and implementing antitrust compliance programs, and providing guidance regarding antitrust issues arising from exercise of intellectual property rights.

Services Available

Antitrust Litigation

Our attorneys have represented clients in lawsuits in federal courts in Florida, and in several other states, in which they have confronted claims under the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, the Robinson-Patman Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and state antitrust statutes. We have successfully asserted or defended a wide variety of claims, including restrictions on distribution, price fixing, bid-rigging, market allocation, group boycotts, refusals to deal, tying arrangements, price discrimination, resale price maintenance, joint purchasing/buying cooperatives and covenants not to compete. Our experience includes criminal prosecutions, class actions and multi-district litigation, and we have both obtained and defended against antitrust injunctions.

Antitrust Counseling and Compliance

In today's complex business environment, questions which raise antitrust concerns may occur daily in such areas as pricing, credit policy, terms of contracts, utilization of production facilities, shipping and transportation. The attorneys in our Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group are available to clients as needed to answer questions about these issues and to assist businesses in accomplishing their objectives within the bounds of the antitrust laws. We also assist clients in designing and implementing education programs and other preventive measures to assure that responsible employees are well informed about their own and their employer's responsibilities in preventing, detecting and reporting violations of the antitrust laws. We provide corporate clients and in-house counsel experienced guidance in preparing and teaching antitrust seminars and workshops tailored to the client's unique needs and concerns. Our compliance services also include conducting or monitoring antitrust audits to assure effective compliance and to detect and respond to potential antitrust problems.

Governmental Investigations and Inquiries

Attorneys in the Group have considerable experience providing comprehensive guidance to clients in responding promptly and appropriately to federal grand jury subpoenas and to federal or state civil investigative demands. As the largest law firm with offices exclusively in Florida, we can mobilize resources to review and produce documents and interview witnesses at several locations simultaneously as may be required to comply with the complex demands of federal or state investigations. Our attorneys have considerable experience dealing with the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and state enforcement authorities at all levels.

Intellectual Property Matters

Patents and copyrights confer on owners of such intellectual property the power to restrict production and distribution of products and services. On occasion, the policies underlying enforcement of the antitrust laws and protection of intellectual property rights present complex issues which require specialized knowledge and experience to resolve. Our attorneys have substantial experience representing clients in matters relating to antitrust risks arising from actual or potential misuse of intellectual property rights.

Unfair Competition and Trade Regulation

We have prosecuted and defended claims of false advertising and unfair competition under federal and state statutes and common law. Our attorneys also have represented public utilities and other businesses regulated under federal or state statutes in addressing their unique antitrust issues.

Transactional Issues

Attorneys in the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group assist clients with issues related to mergers and acquisitions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino pre-merger notification, negotiations with state and federal regulators (both for clients seeking merger approval and clients opposing a merger), administrative filings and corporate structuring.

Experience in a Variety of Industries

Akerman Senterfitt attorneys have successfully represented a wide variety of clients in antitrust and trade regulation matters. Our representations include industries such as: utilities, pharmaceuticals, automotive products, insurance, sports, health care, technology, petroleum products, industrial chemicals, pesticides, agricultural products, dairy products, and steel.

Related Practice Areas:

• Litigation
• Antitrust and Trade Regulation
• Appellate
• Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights
• Class Actions
• Commercial Litigation
• Construction Litigation
• Eminent Domain
• Labor and Employment Litigation
• Mediation and ADR
• Securities Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings
• White-Collar Crime

Clients:
Better Business Bureau, Blockbuster Video Stores , Republic of Haiti , former Attorney General Janet Reno , General Electric Company, NationsRent, Inc., AutoNation, Inc., Kemper Insurance Companies, Priority Healthcare Corporation , Florida Public Utilities, Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation, Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation, Advantor Corporation, Advantor Corporation, Infrasafe, Inc., Infrasafe, Inc., CHEP USA, CHEP USA, Ernst & Young L.L.P., Ernst & Young L.L.P., Colonial BancGroup, Colonial BancGroup