Why does the U.S. have two antitrust enforcement agencies—and how do they really differ in practice? In this episode, Puja Patel and Barry Nigro are joined by Debbie Majoras, former FTC Chair and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the DOJ Antitrust Division, to explore the procedural, cultural, and strategic distinctions between the FTC and DOJ. From procedural standards to enforcement style, merger review processes, and even remedy structures, Debbie reflects on her leadership experience at both agencies and offers practical insights for practitioners navigating the divide. Tune in to hear how these differences shape competition enforcement—and why they matter for clients, courts, and the future of antitrust. With special guest: Debbie Majoras Hosted by: Puja Patel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Barry Nigro, Fried, Frank
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#342 Can Antitrust Be More Innovation-Centric? An Economic Conversation With Professor Richard Gilbert
Innovation is central to long-term economic welfare and deserves greater emphasis in antitrust policy. But can U.S. antitrust law be reshaped to be more innovation-centric? Professor Richard Gilbert joins hosts Anora Wang and Panos Dimitrellos to examine the relationship between competition and innovation, how agencies and courts have recently treated innovation, and practical tools for assessing innovation effects in mergers and conduct cases. Listen to this episode to learn more about navigating the shift toward an innovation-centric antitrust regime, the empirical methods that can reveal innovation harms, and how to balance short-term price effects against long-term technological progress. With special guest: Richard J. Gilbert, Professor, University of California at Berkeley Related Links: https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/4844/Innovation-MattersCompetition-Policy-for-the-High https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/antitrust/journal/86/issue-3/antitrust-for-innovation.pdf https://eml.berkeley.edu/~gilbert/Selected%20Papers/Gilbert-Melamed%20final%20pre-publication.pdf Hosted by: Panos Dimitrellos, Secretariat Economists LLC and Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
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#341 How Should Killer Acquisitions Be Assessed? A Discussion With Professor Nicolas Petit
Merger control regulators in the EU and around the world continue to focus on killer acquisitions. But is this concern justified in the digital sector? Professor Nicolas Petit, a leading competition law academic, joins Matthew Hall and Blair Matthews to discuss the Antitrust Law Journal article on the subject he co-authored and killer acquisitions generally. Listen to this episode to learn more about the methodology behind and findings in the paper and why the concerns on this issue may not be justified. With special guest: Professor Nicolas Petit, Professor, European University Institute; Visiting Professor, George Mason University, Scalia School of Law Related Links: Killer Acquisitions: Evidence from European Merger Cases, Antitrust Law Journal, Volume 86, Issue 3, 22 May 2025 (subscribers) Federal Trade Commission press release, FTC Seeks to Block Virtual Reality Giant Meta’s Acquisition of Popular App Creator Within, 27 July 2022 Federal Trade Commission amended complaint against Meta, 7 October 2022 Hosted by: Matthew Hall, McGuireWoods London LLP and Blair West Matthews, Cleary Gottlieb
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#340 How Do You Win (and Not Lose) a Merger Trial?
Merger litigation is fast, high-stakes, and often unpredictable. So what does it take to win—or avoid losing—when the government challenges a deal? In this episode, Puja Patel and James Hunsberger are joined by Kieran Gostin, a partner at Wilkinson Stekloff and a seasoned merger trial lawyer who helped Microsoft defeat the FTC in its challenge to the Activision acquisition. From trial preparation strategy to expert witness credibility, internal documents versus economic modeling, and real-world lessons from Microsoft/Activision, the conversation covers both foundational insights and tactical advice. Listen in to learn what parties, practitioners, and economists need to consider long before a complaint is ever filed—and what really moves the needle in court. With special guest: Kieran Gostin, Partner, Wilkinson Stekloff Hosted by: Puja Patel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and James Hunsberger, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
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#339 How Do Presidents Shape Antitrust? The Oval Office and the Enforcement Pendulum
Antitrust enforcement can change dramatically between Presidential administrations. What makes the political winds flip between more and less enforcement? In this episode, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades joins hosts Anant Raut and Anna Olson to step back and draw insightful themes from the history of antitrust enforcement across Presidential administrations. With special guest: Michael Kades, Partner, Nachawati Law Group Hosted by: Anant Raut and Anna Olson
Our Curious Amalgam explores topics in antitrust, competition, consumer protection, data protection, and privacy law around the world with leading experts in those areas. It is an amalgam because it is a group of diverse topics all in one place. It is curious because it gets the experts and asks them in-depth questions.
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