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Dear
Colleague:
It
is my pleasure to invite you to attend the 52nd Annual
Spring Meeting of the ABA Section of Antitrust Law! This
year the meeting will be on March 31-April 2, 2004 at
the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.
With
over 40 programs and 150 speakers, the Spring Meeting
is the largest and most comprehensive antitrust conference
in the world. It brings together all segments of the antitrust
community—enforcement officials, in-house counsel,
private practitioners, economists, judges, academicians,
business people, and foreign officials and lawyers—for
a stimulating and constructive discussion of antitrust
and consumer protection issues. The programs are designed
for all levels of experience—from the novice to the
highly proficient.
This
year the Spring Meeting will focus on current developments
with particular emphasis on trial and litigation issues,
the globalization of antitrust, the multiple layers of
antitrust enforcement, intellectual property antitrust
issues and the Federal Circuit, disgorgement, predatory
pricing, tying, standard setting, advertising and other
consumer protection issues, and numerous other industry-specific
programs relating to health care, telecommunications,
energy, high tech and the like.
Some
highlights of this year’s Spring Meeting include:
- The
highly acclaimed “Antitrust Fundamentals”
program on the basics of antitrust law for newcomers
and veterans alike;
- The
Chair’s Showcase Program: “The Challenge of
Counseling and Litigating in the Shadow of the Per Se
Rule” which will examine the issues practitioners
face on a daily basis in grappling with the consequences
of potential applicability of the per se rule. A distinguished
panel of the Honorable Diane Wood, Bill Kovacic, Phil
Proger and Steve Susman will explore this topic for
the benefit of those attending the meeting.
- The
Roundtable with Government Enforcement Officials with
Assistant Attorney General Hew Pate, FTC Chairman Timothy
Muris, Mr. Phillip Lowe, Director General of the European
Commission (invited), and Patricia Conners, chair of
the NAAG Antitrust Task Force;
- A
special “track” for those interested especially
in international competition issues;
- A
program on the litigation consequences of the impending
Class Action Fairness Act and other class action developments;
- A
mock trial of a Section 2 case with the ability to monitor
jury deliberations;
- A
program on the re-emergence of the Unfairness Doctrine
in FTC and State Consumer Protection cases;
- The
always-popular “Hot Topics” program that will
examine the latest issues in antitrust;
- An
ethics program for CLE credit that deals with ethical
issues in mergers and acquisitions, antitrust litigation,
joint ventures, trade association activities and Sarbanes-Oxley
implementation.
The
Spring Meeting would not be complete without an opportunity
to visit with old friends and acquaintances, and this
year will be no different. There will be abundant chances
to re-connect with old colleagues and to meet new friends
informally. Additionally, there will be the following
scheduled social events:
- Our
Luncheon on Wednesday at 12:00 noon starts off the meeting.
(This is a ticketed event with limited seating!) Steve
Calkins will be the featured luncheon speaker.
- Our
Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening will give everyone
an opportunity to meet and mingle with the Section’s
leadership.
- Our
Annual Spring Dinner on Thursday evening will have as
the guest speaker, Scott Simon, host of Saturday morning’s
Weekend Edition program on NPR. (Buy your tickets early
for this sell-out event!)
- Our
Law Student Lounge for law students will allow students
to stop by and learn about the Section, as well as visit
our “Job Board” where law firms and companies
can post job opportunities.
As
always, there will be numerous private receptions and
parties hosted by law firms and other organizations during
the course of the Spring Meeting. This Spring Meeting
is one that you won’t want to miss. I look forward
to seeing you there!
Warmest
regards,
Kevin E. Grady
Chair, Section of Antitrust Law
2003-04
