The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented issues for
businesses and we recognize that antitrust is unlikely to be your
most important concern at this time.
However, some forethought may mitigate risk of future exposure,
and position your business as well as possible in this dynamic
environment.
This memo supplements the materials available on our Resource Center, and provides an
initial overview of antitrust-related issues that businesses may
confront in the coming days, weeks, and months. Some are
specific to this crisis; others may be more analogous to previous
times of economic difficulty.
- Antitrust.
Dealing with the outbreak could raise various antitrust issues in
the near term: short-term shortages of certain products could lead
to allegations of price gouging or excessive pricing, or the
discriminatory allocation of scarce supplies; rivals may want to
cooperate on medical developments or to ensure the ongoing supply
of important goods; and companies
