QuickLaunch University: Consequences Of FTC Violations (Video Content)

Major antitrust developments from August 2026 span multiple jurisdictions, including U.S. court rulings on oil price-fixing and printer cartridge restrictions, FTC quantum computing merger reviews...

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has significantly escalated its antitrust investigation into Nvidia Corp., the world's leading AI chipmaker, by issuing subpoenas not only to Nvidia but also to third-party companies.

On August 7, 2026, the Delaware Court of Chancery ordered Verisk Analytics, Inc. to move forward with its purportedly terminated $2.35 billion proposed acquisition of AccuLynx.com.

Prior to the 2010 merger, Live Nation Entertainment was the largest producer, marketer, and seller of live concerts globally, controlling more than 75 concert venues in the United States...

The U.S. Department of Justice recently closed its investigation into a merger between two leading sales enablement software providers, citing AI competition as a key protective factor against potential competitive harm. This decision offers important insights into how antitrust agencies are evaluating AI-native companies as competitive constraints and implementing more efficient, targeted merger review processes in technology sector transactions.

On December 22, 2025, the FTC reopened and set aside the FTC's 2024 consent order against the AI company Rytr LLC.

The Justice Department has resumed targeted Second Request investigations to expedite merger reviews, while major entertainment industry consolidation faces legal challenges and the FTC secures record penalties for Hart-Scott-Rodino Act violations. These developments signal a shifting landscape in federal merger enforcement, balancing efficiency with rigorous antitrust scrutiny across multiple industries.

The Federal Trade Commission closed its investigation of IonQ's acquisition of SkyWater Technology after the Commission's two sitting members divided over whether the transaction warranted a negotiated behavioral consent order. These detailed statements reveal how each Commissioner analyzes vertical transactions and their claimed benefits, offering critical insights for parties planning vertical transactions in defense and national-security sectors.

The Department of Justice announced a landmark $250 million settlement with KKR & Co. for allegedly submitting deficient Hart-Scott-Rodino Act notification forms across at least 16 transactions. This unprecedented penalty, the largest ever for HSR violations, raises critical questions about merger notification compliance obligations and the consequences of systemic noncompliance with federal antitrust review requirements.

The September 2, 2025 decision in United States et al. v. Google marks a pivotal moment in U.S. antitrust enforcement against domineering technology companies.

The USPTO has released its latest economic impact report on IP-intensive industries, announced a new community engagement office in North Carolina, and issued several administrative updates including relief for Japanese applicants affected by a severe earthquake. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has also designated new precedential and informative decisions addressing obviousness-type double patenting and Markush groupings.

California's Air Resources Board has released significant modifications to its greenhouse gas emissions reporting regulation, deferring the first reporting deadline to November 10, 2026, and clarifying key requirements for companies doing business in California with over $1 billion in annual revenue. The updates provide additional flexibility for 2026 reporting while enforcement of the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act remains paused pending federal litigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced three major settlements totaling over $558 million against healthcare providers partnering with Medicare Advantage plans for allegedly submitting false diagnosis codes. These enforcement actions reveal DOJ's intensified scrutiny of risk-sharing payment arrangements between Medicare Advantage plans and healthcare providers, while demonstrating the significant benefits that self-disclosure and cooperation can provide to companies facing potential False Claims Act l

The US International Trade Commission has opened a rare public comment period on how it should fulfill its data collection and reporting obligations under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a long-dormant authority recently invoked by the Trump Administration to impose restrictions on Canadian imports. This presents a unique opportunity for companies and stakeholders to shape from the ground up how the Commission interprets discriminatory foreign trade practices, evaluates allegations, and reports findi

The US and China have agreed to hold their 12th round of trade negotiations in Shanghai beginning July 30.

The sports and gaming industries are evolving faster than existing legal frameworks can accommodate, creating unprecedented jurisdictional battles, regulatory shifts, and commercial opportunities. From the escalating fight over prediction markets between federal regulators and states to the emergence of responsible gaming as a standalone policy priority, the first half of 2026 has reshaped the legal landscape governing these sectors while raising fundamental questions about innovation, consumer protection

Artificial intelligence is transforming corporate governance, requiring directors to navigate complex oversight challenges as AI systems become embedded across business operations. This article examines how established UK directors' duties apply in the context of AI adoption, exploring the practical implications for board-level decision-making and risk management. Directors must balance AI's strategic opportunities against emerging risks while maintaining effective human oversight and independent judgment.

California's Privacy Protection Agency has launched its first enforcement actions under the Delete Act, targeting data brokers LocateSmarter and Cybba for failing to register with the state. These cases signal a new era of aggressive enforcement, with substantial fines and no grace period for compliance, while the agency simultaneously raises registration fees from $6,000 to $9,500 annually.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown released the state's first Data Privacy Report, examining how the modern data economy incentivizes personal information collection and retention. The report catalogs resulting harms and recommends that lawmakers strengthen privacy protections, enforcement, and public education while highlighting Washington's continued lack of a comprehensive consumer privacy statute despite inspiring other states' privacy laws.

An article by Alison Geary and Lloyd Firth, published in Of Counsel, discusses the perceived precarious future of the Serious Fraud Office.