Our Curious Amalgam

What are the latest trends and developments in competition law enforcement in Ireland, Brazil, and Paraguay? Geoffrey Gray of the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), joins Lexi Michaud to discuss his agency's efforts to refine merger analysis and enhance competition in Ireland's taxi and ride-sharing sector. Brazilian CADE President Gustavo Augusto speaks with Matthew Hall about how his agency has been deploying AI to analyze market data and identify possible cartel activity. Finally, Eduardo Barros, President of Paraguay's CONACOM, talks to Alicia Downey about how his relatively young agency has been growing and successfully collaborating with other agencies. Listen to this episode to hear about how all three competition agencies are approaching competition law enforcement and advocacy in 2026.
With special guests:
Geoffrey Gray, Commission Member, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), Ireland
Gustavo Augusto Freitas de Lima, President, Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), Brazil
Eduardo Barros, President, CONACOM, Paraguay
Related Links:
Ireland Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)
Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), Brazil
Comisión Nacional de la Competencia (CONACOM), Paraguay


Hosted by:
Matthew Hall, McGuireWoods, Lexi Michaud, Fried Frank, and Alicia Downey, Downey Law

Benchmarking and information sharing can be procompetitive, but modern data tools can also make it easier for rivals to coordinate on prices. But when does benchmarking cross the line into unlawful antitrust conduct? Norman Lee Morris, Attorney for Mississippi Attorney General, joins Panos Dimitrellos and Alysha Pannu to discuss the evolution of antitrust enforcement, the economic risks posed by real-time algorithmic pricing and data aggregation, and what recent cases like RealPage and Agri Stats reveal about enforcement priorities. Listen to this episode to learn more about how antitrust law applies to information exchanges, and why the economics of benchmarking matter so much in today's markets.
With special guest:
Norman Lee Morris, Attorney for Mississippi Attorney General

Hosted by:
Alysha Pannu, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt and Panos Dimitrellos, Secretariat Economists

What is happening in competition enforcement in Australia and New Zealand? Luke Woodward, Commissioner at the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), joins Lexi Michaud to discuss the ACCC's distinctive joint competition and consumer protection mandate, the ACCC's role in deregulation as a way to unlock innovation, growth, and productivity, and where the ACCC is focused to keep pace with changing markets. Next, Luke Becker, Chief Legal Counsel of Competition at the New Zealand Commerce Commission (NZCC), speaks with Anora Wang on the NZCC's approach to digital markets, enforcement priorities, and the application of traditional regulatory tools in evolving market contexts. Join us for a look at how Australia and New Zealand are steering competition enforcement across the Asia‑Pacific, the key developments to watch in 2026, and what these shifts mean for businesses and practitioners.

With special guests:
Luke Woodward, Commissioner, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission and Luke Becker, Chief Legal Counsel (Competition), New Zealand Commerce Commission
Related Links:
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)
New Zealand Commerce Commission (NZCC)
Hosted by:
Lexi Michaud, Fried Frank and Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter

Can competition laws keep pace with the AI race? Blanche Savary de Beauregard, General Counsel at Mistral AI, joins co-hosts Anora Wang and Clémence Coppin, in collaboration with the New York State Bar Association, to discuss how a European AI company competes against U.S. and Chinese makers of AI foundation models, the strategic logic behind Mistral's major industry partnerships, and why Europe's regulatory fragmentation makes scaling uniquely difficult for emerging AI champions. Blanche offers a candid take on why both under- and over-enforcement are genuine risks in a market that can foreclose before regulators have fully mapped it. Listen to this episode for a rare industry perspective on AI competition policy in 2026.
With special guest:
Blanche Savary de Beauregard, General Counsel, Mistral AI
 
Related Links:
Mistral AI
Hosted by:
Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter and Clémence Coppin, Latham & Watkins

What has competition enforcement looked like in Italy and Portugal over the past year? Saverio Valentino, Board Member of the Italian Antitrust Authority, joins Jaclyn Phillips to discuss AGCM's 2025 enforcement record, an ongoing digital sector investigation into Meta, and a whistleblower platform that has generated over 600 complaints since 2023. Next, Nuno Cunha Rodrigues, President of the Portuguese Competition Authority, speaks with Jeny Maier about a creative hospital merger remedy, AdC's research on AI and competition, and a consumer outreach initiative that took the authority beyond Lisbon. Listen to this episode to hear how two of Europe's most active competition agencies are approaching enforcement and advocacy in 2026.

With special guests:
Saverio Valentino, Board Member, AGCM (Italian Antitrust Authority) and Nuno Cunha Rodrigues, President, AdC (Portuguese Competition Authority)

Related Links:
Italian Antitrust Authority (AGCM)
Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC)
Hosted by:
Jaclyn Phillips, Proskauer Rose and Jeny Maier, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider