Starts October 4, 2011
Tuesday & Thursday Nights in October 19:00-22:00, with Visiting Professor Robert Levy
And Tuesday Nights in November 19:00-22:00 with Adjunct Professor Torsten Syrbe
This unique course begins with 24 hours with Visiting Professor Robert Levy introducing the concepts of competition law and discussing the antitrust law of the United States, and ends with 12 hours with Clifford Chance Moscow Partner Torsten Syrbe discussing competition law in Europe and Russia. The course introduces students to the regulatory approach towards fostering competition in the marketplace.
Mr. Levy’s portion of the course is designed to provide you with a strong foundation in U.S. antitrust law as well as an understanding of the practical aspects of antitrust practice. It should be pointed out that international firms and their representatives who do business in the United States are subject to both the criminal and civil sanctions of U.S. antitrust law. For example, representatives of international firms found guilty of price fixing have been sentenced to jail terms in the U.S. while their companies have paid fines in the many millions of dollars and also have been subjected to private antitrust actions by customers seeking to recover treble damages for price fixing overcharges. International firms and their representatives must receive guidance and oversight from counsel who understand the antitrust laws of the United States.
Mr. Syrbe’s portion of the course in November will allow you to compare the American approach you have learned from Mr. Levy with the European and Russian regulatory frameworks, to be aware of the many similarities as well as some of the differences. The class will discuss interesting cases involving mergers, cartels, price fixing, monopolization, predatory pricing, as well as the difficulties associated with defining a "market" in the context of an antitrust case.
Because economics is central to the theory of competition law, you should expect to study a bit of economic theory. No prior knowledge of economics is assumed, however.
Required Books
William Breit, Antitrust Casebook: Milestones in Economic Regulation, 3rd Ed. ISBN 9780030163197
Excerpts from: Richard Whish, Competition Law, 6th Ed.
Additional handouts will be placed on the course Moodle.
Attendance and Preparedness
Attendance at seminar meetings is very important especially since part of your grade will depend upon your performance in class. In the event you cannot attend or will be late for class, you are expected to make arrangements with the instructor to meet to discuss the seminar topics you missed. You may not miss more than three classes. The professors have the discretion to remove you from the course or assign additional work if you miss more than that.
Grading
Grades will be calculated as follows: 10% for performance in class; 10% for performance at oral argument; 40% for your mid-term paper and 40% for your final exam, which will be a three-hour exam monitored by a proctor and given during the regular exam period.
A more detailed syllabus and description of assignments will be available in the Pericles office prior to the start of the course.
