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The California State Assembly recently unveiled legislation (“AB 325”) designed to strengthen California antitrust enforcement in two ways.

For decades, California enforcers and politicians have argued for state-level antitrust enforcement activity at a level commensurate with California’s $4.1 trillion economy, the largest state economy in the United States. Only recently, however, have those rumblings coalesced into concrete proposals with significant political momentum. Most notably, in 2022 the California Legislature authorized the California Law Revision Commission (CLRC)—a state agency tasked with examining California law and recommending reforms—to study potential revisions to the state’s antitrust laws. This initiative led to the formation of working groups around eight major topics, including single-firm conduct, mergers and acquisitions, and technology platforms.

On April 17, 2025, a federal district court denied a motion to dismiss the first government enforcement action brought in decades under the Robinson-Patman Act (“RPA”), a statute that prohibits price discrimination and other anticompetitive distribution practices.

Darren Tucker and Jason Powers discussed recent antitrust developments in the energy sector and what lies ahead for companies in 2025.

Vinson & Elkins’ 2024 Chemicals & Energy Antitrust Report details the antitrust approach expected under the upcoming Trump administration, with a focus on boosting oil and gas production.

As former President Trump returns to office, excitement is building in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries, fueled by the administration’s early signals of support for digital assets and Web3 technologies, including the appointment of crypto advocate Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Industry leaders are hopeful that the pro-cryptocurrency stances held by President Trump and his appointees will foster a regulatory environment that supports growth and innovation in decentralized technology.

On August 20, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered a final judgment (“Order”) setting aside, on a nationwide basis, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) final rule (“Rule”) prohibiting non-competition agreements.

We’re talking Antitrust with a Texas T. And a whole lot of D.C. and SF – with a team of stars from across the country who’ve come together in one of the most powerhouse competition practices going.

As we previously addressed, on April 24, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted to finalize its rule prohibiting businesses from entering into or enforcing non-compete clauses in nearly all agreements with workers (“FTC Rule”).

Antitrust issues have cut deeply into the corporate landscape, and this year is shaping up for more of the same. Generative artificial intelligence, merger enforcement, and trial risks stand out as three of the most important antitrust considerations companies should have top of mind in 2024.

V&E lawyers discussed recent antitrust developments in these industries — including federal regulators’ merger and non-merger enforcement priorities and state & private litigation — and what lies ahead.

On December 18, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice (the “Agencies”) jointly released new Merger Guidelines (the “Guidelines”), setting forth the analytical framework the Agencies will use to review proposed mergers and acquisitions.