Expect more antitrust lawsuits as the economy seeks bottom. So says Michael L. Keeley, a partner in the antitrust group of Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP. In this edition of Inside The Deal, Keeley tells Suzanne Stevens that two factors are in play: the likelihood of companies in a recession to more aggressively protect their turf, and an increased willingness among struggling companies to dedicate resources to litigation. Keeley, who also addressed the topic in a recent issue of The Deal newsweekly, says the number of antitrust lawsuits already filed this year exceeds those filed in all of 2007. Add that to President-elect Obama's stated intention to more actively pursue monopolistic conduct, and the courts should see plenty of antitrust activity in 2009.
