Canadian Parliament Promises Competition And Foreign Investment Amendments.
Copyright 2009, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Originally published in Blakes Bulletin on Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment, January 2009 On January 27, 2009, The Honourable James Flaherty, Minister of Finance, introduced the Conservative Government's 2009 Budget, entitled Canada's Economic Action Plan, promising to implement...

Bad deal: FDR's public works only exacerbated the depression.
NEVER HAS THE PHRASE "the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression" been uttered so often. Reporters and commentators routinely discuss our current financial woes as though it were 1930 again. Pundits and even economists urge President-elect Barack Obama to launch a "new New Deal" as soon as he...

Legal Update: The Criminalisation Of Cartels - One Step Closer.
Legislation for the criminalisation of cartels is set to be introduced into Federal Parliament prior to the end of the year with the Government releasing an exposure draft of proposed amendments to the Trade Practices Act 1974 (TPA). Consultation with interested parties on the initial draft bill released earlier...

Germany In Cartels.
"An extract from The 2009 European Antitrust Review - a Global Competition Review special report - www.globalcompetitionreview.com" Applicable Law And Enforcement The legal basis for cartel enforcement in Germany is the Act against Restrictions of Competition (ARC), which has been modified by the Seventh Amendment. The changes...

Criminalising cartels - Australia moves on new bill.
Key Points Liability will be strict as the "dishonesty" test has been removed, making it easier to convict. Some current business arrangements could fall foul of the new Bill. Following numerous submissions and a period of consultation on the first Exposure Draft of...

Cartels In Spain.
"An extract from The 2009 European Antitrust Review - a Global Competition Review special report - www.globalcompetitionreview.com" The Spanish Competition Act entered into force on 1 September 2007 (Law 15/2007, 3 July, on Defence of Competition) (the Competition Act) which replaces former Law 16/1989, 17 July. ...

New Legislation Gets Tough On Cartels.
Last week, the federal Government unveiled the Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and other Measures) Bill 2008, and with it signalled a renewed focus on tackling cartel behaviour in corporate Australia. What is cartel behaviour? At its broadest point, a cartel is any arrangement between two or...

Criminalisation Of Cartels: New Amendments To The Trade Practices Act.
On 3 December 2008, the Federal Government introduced and read for the first time the Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (the Bill). The Bill amends the Trade Practices Act 1974 (TP Act), the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (TIA Act) and...

Criminalising Cartels - Confusion Or Clarity?
Key Points Submissions on the draft cartel bill highlight concern and confusion over the distinction to be drawn between criminal and civil conduct under the proposed Bill, and the impact on the ACCC's Immunity Policy. Corporations doing business in Australia should be prepared to audit...

Recent developments in cartel prosecutions.
The investigation and prosecution of domestic and international cartels continues to be a top priority for antitrust authorities worldwide, including in Canada. The past month has seen a number of significant developments in this area, including guilty pleas in Canada and the United States and the imposition of record...