FTC Counsel Says Altria Exit From Juul Noncompete Doesn’t Moot Antitrust Claims

Mealey's (November 7, 2022, 9:02 AM EST) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — Counsel for the Federal Trade Commission argue in a recent response brief that tobacco company Altria Group Inc.’s recent withdrawal from a noncompete agreement with e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. (JLI) after Altria’s $12.8 billion investment in JLI dwindled to 3% of its original value is irrelevant to a pending administrative appeal of the dismissal of the FTC’s antitrust claims against the companies....