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When you hear about the Robinson-Patman Act, you may remember it as a law that protects smaller product re-sellers (“mom and pop” stores, local dealers, etc.) by preventing product suppliers from giving better prices to larger re-sellers just because of their size. You would be correct, but two recent cases serve as important reminders that the Robinson-Patman Act applies to more than just prices. The cases—Dahl Automotive Onalaska Inc. v. Ford Motor Co., 20-cv-932-jdp, 2022 WL 602904 (W.D. Wis.
Continue Reading Recent Robinson-Patman Act Cases Demonstrate Size Doesn’t Always Matter

Last summer, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14036 targeting “any unlawful trade practices in the beer, wine, and spirits markets, such as certain exclusionary, discriminatory, or anticompetitive distribution practices,” as well as “patterns of consolidation in production, distribution, or retail beer, wine, and spirits market.” The Executive Order required that the United States Department of Treasury submit a report assessing competitive conditions in the beer, wine, and spirits industry.

Last month, the Treasury Department published its Competition in …
Continue Reading The Treasury Department’s Competition Report: What Wisconsin Wholesalers Need to Know