Developed in partnership with the WSBA Antitrust, Consumer Protection, and Unfair Business Practices Section

Presented in collaboration with the Seattle University School of Law and the University of Washington School of Law

Join us for a topnotch antitrust conference featuring exceptional faculty of leading experts in competition law and policy. This event will explore critical and exciting topics shaping the field today, including new merger scrutiny, evolving labor challenges, enforcement and remedies involving Big Tech and the digital economy. Don't miss this unique opportunity to engage with a broad range of perspectives and build community among premier antitrust scholars, law enforcement, and practitioners in Seattle. We hope you will join us for an exciting day of law and policy around antitrust and competition. It will be an incredible day of programming with lunch!

Selected sessions are being offered for CLE credit.

Agenda:
9:00 a.m.
Check-in

9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
30 minutes*
This session will provide an overview of key antitrust developments from the Federal Trade Commission’s perspective. Commissioner Holyoak will share insights on current enforcement priorities and emerging trends in competition policy.
Commissioner Melissa Holyoak – Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC

10:00 a.m.
Contemporary Antitrust Challenges
60 minutes, 1.0 Law & Legal Procedure CLE credit
Leading academic experts will discuss theoretical and practical dimensions of antitrust enforcement and policy. Topics will include analysis of recent case law, examination of regulatory challenges, discussion of innovative technologies, and the evolving role of economic analysis in competition law.
Professor Jack Kirkwood – Seattle University School of Law, Seattle WA
Professor William Kovacic – George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC

11:00 a.m. BREAK

11:15 a.m.
Academic Perspectives on Antitrust Enforcement
60 minutes, 1.0 Law & Legal Procedure CLE credit
This session will explore the practical interplay between legal frameworks and economic reasoning in antitrust cases. The professors will explore enforcement trends, compliance strategies, merger review standards, and policy implications for market competition. This conversation will traverse historical antitrust enforcement trends and speculate how compliance will be managed in the current administration.
Professor Daniel Francis – New York University School of Law, New York City, NY
Professor Doug Ross – University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, WA

12:15 p.m. BREAK

12:30 p.m.
Lunch Keynote: Judicial Insights on Antitrust Litigation
30 minutes*
Judge Ferguson, who presided over Albertsons/Kroger merger challenge, will provide unique judicial perspectives on antitrust litigation, focusing on effective advocacy in complex merger cases. Attendees will gain valuable insights into antitrust litigation and judicial decision making.
Judge Marshall Ferguson – King County Superior Court, Seattle, WA

1:30 p.m.
Antitrust Approaches in the Age of AI
60 minutes*
This panel brings together experienced practitioners and academics to discuss current antitrust enforcement trends in digital markets. Topics includes recent developments in monopoly law and the efficacy of existing and future remedies in technology markets. This discussion will explore competition, innovation, and free markets in the rapidly evolving AI landscape in the U.S. and abroad.
Aaron Alva – Federal Trade Commission (Ret.), Seattle, WA
Jevan Huston – University of Washington Tech Law and Policy Clinic, Seattle, WA
Danica Noble – WSBA Antitrust, Consumer Protection Section, Seattle, WA (moderator)

2:30 p.m. BREAK

2:45 p.m.
State Enforcement and Policy Developments
60 minutes*
Representatives from the Washington Attorney General’s Office will present on state-level antitrust enforcement initiatives and policy developments. The discussion will highlight multi-jurisdiction coordination and key regulatory priorities.
Jonathan Mark – Washington State Attorney General’s Office, Seattle, WA
Paula Pera – Washington State Attorney General’s Office, Seattle, WA

3:30 p.m.
Adjourn

*No CLE credit is available for these sessions.

FACULTY
Aaron Alva - Federal Trade Commission (Ret.), Seattle, WA
Judge Marshall Ferguson - King County Superior Court, Seattle, WA
Professor Daniel Francis - NYU School of Law, New York City, NY
Commissioner Melissa Holyoak - Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC
Professor Jack Kirkwood - Seattle University School of Law, Seattle WA
Professor William Kovacic - George Washington University School of Law, Washington, DC
Jevan Huston - University of Washington Tech Law and Policy Clinic, Seattle, WA
Jonathan Mark - Washington State Attorney General’s Office, Seattle, WA
Danica Noble - WSBA Antitrust, Consumer Protection Section, Seattle, WA
Paula Pera - Washington State Attorney General’s Office, Seattle, WA
Professor Doug Ross - University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, WA

SCHEDULE
9:00 a.m. In-Person Sign-In Opens
9:30 a.m. Program Begins
12:30 -1:30 p.m. Lunch
3:30 p.m. Adjourn