Our Curious Amalgam

What's ahead for the ABA Antitrust Law Section in 2026–2027? Section Chair Melanie Aitken and Counsel to the Chair Christina Skinner join Our Curious Amalgam to discuss Melanie's vision for the Section and her priorities for the coming year. Listen to this episode to learn how under Melanie's leadership, the Section plans to double down on its value to members, strengthen its leadership and processes, and remain a home for vigorous debate and a broad range of perspectives across the antitrust community.

With special guests:
Melanie Aitken, Chair, ABA Antitrust Law Section and Christina Skinner, Counsel to the Chair, ABA Antitrust Law Section

Hosted by:
Anora Wang and Lexi Michaud, Fried Frank

The European Court of Justice's judgment in Google Android is one of the most consequential EU competition law judgments of the last decade. But why is it so important? Thomas Höppner, lawyer at Geradin Partners, joins Matthew Hall and Subrata Bhattacharjee to discuss the key issues raised and their relevance to abuse of dominance cases generally. Listen to this episode to learn more about counterfactual analysis, the relevance of context and the latest on the as-efficient-competitor test and principle.
With special guest:
Thomas Höppner, partner, Geradin Partners

Related Links:
European Court of Justice judgment, Google Android, 2 July 2026
Hosted by:
Matthew Hall, McGuireWoods and Subrata Bhattacharjee, Borden Ladner Gervais

Larry Buterman is one of the rare antitrust attorneys who has successfully first chaired landmark cases both at the DOJ Antitrust Division and in private practice. In this career profile, co-hosts Derek Jackson and Lexi Michaud ask Larry about the differences and similarities in representing the DOJ versus representing a private party, about Larry's trial war stories (including his cross-examination of a famous athlete), about advice for aspiring litigators, and more. Listen to this episode to learn about the experience of an antitrust trial lawyer and how you might become one too.
With special guest:
Larry Buterman, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
 
Hosted by:
Derek Jackson, Cohen & Gresser and Lexi Michaud, Fried Frank

We are re-releasing this episode in tribute to Prof. Randy Picker, who passed away on August 15, 2026. In 2020, Randy joined co-hosts Anora Wang and John Roberti for an episode on the 13-year-long U.S. antitrust case against IBM brought in 1969, exploring how U.S. antitrust dealing with tech ranges from early government cases involving punch cards to government probes into today's platforms, and how antitrust enforcement can impact the technology landscape for decades later. Years later, the episode holds up remarkably well - the questions Randy raised about whether the antitrust past would repeat itself in the tech world remain just as central to today's platform antitrust cases and debates over Big Tech enforcement. We share Randy's episode again in celebration of his generosity, insight, and decades of contribution to antitrust scholarship.
With special guest:
Randal C. Picker, James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School

Related Links:
Randal C. Picker, renowned legal scholar, 1959-2026
Hosted by:
Lexi Michaud, Fried Frank; Anora Wang; and John Roberti, Zaiger Linden Roberti & Pepe

Several U.S. states have recently passed legislation aimed at AI pricing tools that use consumer or competitor data. What is driving this spate of legislation, what different approaches are the states taking, and are the states sufficiently accounting for possible unintended consequences? In this episode, hosts Sergei Zaslavsky and Alicia Downey talk to Orrick partner Shannon Yavorksy about the pros and cons of AI pricing and the emerging regulatory patchwork in this area. Listen to this episode to hear about the latest developments in AI pricing regulation and what the future might hold.
With special guest:
Shannon Yavorksy, Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
 
Related Links:
Shannon Yavorsky & David Curtis, Algorithmic Pricing Under Scrutiny: What You Need to Know (June 9, 2026)

Hosted by:
Sergei Zaslavsky, O'Melveny & Myers and Alicia Downey, Downey Law