March 10, 2021
Publication: In House Warrior
Financial services institutions often focus on the actions of enforcers like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in assessing their exposure. And rightly so. What they may fail to consider, however, are the antitrust risks of their business dealings, particularly as government enforcement agencies and private parties increasingly employ antitrust perspectives.
The run on GameStop stock in January of 2021 brings the intersection of antitrust and financial services to the forefront of the public consciousness. Recent lawsuits, such as those brought against Robinhood, Citadel and TD Ameritrade, allege improper coordination and anticompetitive behavior under U.S. antitrust law. The addition of antitrust theories may expand the scope of litigation and implicate certain business practices that might otherwise avoid scrutiny. Companies employing emerging technologies like blockchain and pricing algorithms also must recognize that they are in the crosshairs of antitrust enforcers.
In an interview with the In House Warrior podcast, Kobre & Kim lawyers Benjamin Sirota and David McGill address the implications of the intersection between antitrust and financial services in the final episode of the podcast’s three-part “Antitrust” series.
Click here to listen to the podcast on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts.