Kirkland and Ellis Live Nation/Ticketmaster Final Judgment

Move the Truth

The current CEO and Chairman plus their billionaire owners should be charged with racketeering, obstruction of Justice

 Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Justice Department Will Move to Significantly Modify and Extend Consent Decree with Live Nation/Ticketmaster

Justice Department and Live Nation Agree to a Number of Significant Changes, To Extend by Five and Half Years the 2010 Live Nation/Ticketmaster Final Judgment; Live Nation to Pay Costs and Fees to Taxpayers for Enforcement

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division will file a petition asking the court to clarify and extend by five and a half years the Final Judgment entered by the Court in United States v. Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:10-cv-00139-RMC (July 30, 2010). This is the most significant enforcement action of an existing antitrust decree by the Department in 20 years.

The 2010 Final Judgment permitted Live Nation to merge with Ticketmaster but prohibited the company from retaliating against concert venues for using another ticketing company, threatening concert venues, or undertaking other specified actions against concert venues for ten years. Despite the prohibitions in the Final Judgment, Live Nation repeatedly and over the course of several years engaged in conduct that, in the Department’s view, violated the Final Judgment. To put a stop to this conduct and to remove any doubt about defendants’ obligations under the Final Judgment going forward, the Department and Live Nation have agreed to modify the Final Judgment to make clear that such conduct is prohibited. In addition, Live Nation has agreed to extend the term of the Final Judgment by five and a half years, which will allow concert venues and American consumers to get the benefit of the relief the Department bargained for in the original settlement. The proposed modifications to the Final Judgment will also help deter additional violations and allow for easier detection and enforcement if future violations occur.

“When Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, the Department of Justice and the federal court imposed conditions on the company in order to preserve and promote ticketing competition.” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s enforcement action including the addition of language on retaliation and conditioning will ensure that American consumers get the benefit of the bargain that the United States and Live Nation agreed to in 2010. Merging parties will be held to their promises and the Department will not tolerate transgressions that hurt the American consumer.”

The Department today filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to reopen the docket in the underlying action, a necessary step towards filing the petition to clarify and extend the Final Judgment. The Department will file that petition once leave is granted by the court.

The clarifications to the Final Judgment the parties will seek include provisions that:

• Live Nation may not threaten to withhold concerts from a venue if the venue chooses a ticketer other than Ticketmaster;
• A threat by Live Nation to withhold any concerts because a venue chooses another ticketer is a violation of the Final Judgment;
• Withholding any concerts in response to a venue choosing a ticketer other than Ticketmaster is a violation by Live Nation of the Final Judgment;
• The Antitrust Division will appoint an independent monitor to investigate and report on Live Nation’s compliance with the Final Judgment;
• Live Nation will appoint an internal antitrust compliance officer and conduct regular internal training to ensure its employees fully comply with the Final Judgment;
• Live Nation will provide notice to current or potential venue customers of its ticketing services of the clarified and extended Final Judgment; and
• Live Nation is subject to an automatic penalty of $1,000,000 for each violation of the Final Judgment.
• Live Nation will pay costs and fees for the Department’s investigation and enforcement.

Along with the provisions described above, the proposed modifications to the Final Judgment, if approved by the court, include additional safeguards to ensure Live Nation does not punish venues that want to work with competing ticketers, and importantly, extends the term of the Final Judgment for five and half years.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. It claims to be the largest live entertainment company in the world, active in three principal segments: concert promotion, ticketing services, and sponsorship & advertising. In 2018, Live Nation’s revenues were approximately $10.8 billion.

Ticketmaster is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Live Nation following their merger in 2010. It claims to be the world’s leading live entertainment ticketing sales and entertainment company. In 2018, Ticketmaster’s revenues were approximately $1.5 billion.

Topic(s): 

Antitrust

Component(s): 

Antitrust Division

Press Release Number: 

19-1,424

 

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The Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center (CCC) antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

 

CITIZEN COMPLAINT CENTER

To report antitrust concerns to the Antitrust Division:

• Step 1: Fully Describe Your Concern
• Step 2: Submit the Concern to the Citizen Complaint Center

Please keep in mind that the Antitrust Division is prohibited from giving legal advice to private individuals.

STEP 1: FULLY DESCRIBE YOUR CONCERN

If you have information about a possible antitrust violation or potential anticompetitive activity, use the following questions as a guideline to describe your complaint:

• What are the names of companies, individuals, or organizations that are involved?
• How do you believe they have violated the federal antitrust laws? (For details on federal antitrust laws, see Antitrust Laws and You.)
• Can you give examples of the conduct that you believe violates the antitrust laws? If so, please provide as much detail as possible.
• What is the product or service affected by this conduct? Where is the product manufactured or sold, or where is the service provided?
• Who are the major competitors that sell the product or provide the service?
• What is your role in the situation in question?
• Who is harmed by the alleged violations? How are they harmed?

STEP 2: SUBMIT THE CONCERN TO THE CITIZEN COMPLAINT CENTER

You may submit your concern by e-mail, regular mail, or phone.

E-mail	antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov
Mail	Citizen Complaint Center Antitrust Division 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Room 3322 Washington, DC 20530
Phone	1-888-647-3258 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada) or 202-307-2040

HOW WE HANDLE YOUR COMPLAINT

The Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center (CCC) handles complaints in the following way:

1. The CCC creates a record of the information that you provided.
2. The CCC conducts a preliminary review of your complaint for possible antitrust violations.
3. If your complaint raises sufficient concern under the Federal antitrust laws, the CCC refers it to the appropriate Division legal staff where additional research may lead to a formal investigation into the reported conduct.
4. If the Division needs more information, we will contact you typically within one month of submitting your complaint. Due to the confidential nature of Division investigations, you will not be notified if we open an investigation.

In some instances, the volume of mail, e-mail, and phone calls on a particular issue is so great that we cannot respond to each message individually. We would like you to know, however, that your views are important and all incoming correspondence is reviewed for possible antitrust violations.

Confidentiality Policy and Privacy Policy

Our Confidentiality Policy and Privacy Policy apply to all complaints received by the Antitrust Division.

CRIMINAL ANTITRUST LENIENCY PROGRAM FOR CORPORATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

Individuals or companies who (a) believe they may have been involved in criminal antitrust violations and (b) cooperate with the Antitrust Division can avoid criminal conviction, fines, and prison sentences if they meet the conditions of the Division’s Leniency Program.

Leniency application instructions, the Division’s corporate and individual leniency policies, model leniency letters, and other information regarding the Division’s Leniency Program are available on the Leniency Program page.

Updated November 22, 2019

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Reporter:brent.kendall@wsj.com

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Articles on WSJ by Brent Kendal

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AT&T, Accenture Join Forces to Transform AT&T Consumer Sales and Customer Care

AT&T, Accenture Join Forces to Transform AT&T Consumer Sales and Customer Care

AT&T, Accenture Join Forces to Transform AT&T Consumer Sales and Customer Care

Firms sign agreement to creatively enhance sales and care capability serving nearly 60 million consumers

NEW YORK – Jan. 15, 2002 – AT&T (NYSE: T) and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today announced an innovative, multi-billion-dollar agreement in which the firms will team to transform AT&T Consumer’s long distance sales and customer care operation. The “co-sourcing” agreement, which calls for AT&T to spend about $2.6 billion over five years, combines the strengths of both companies, each of which will contribute to the management, staffing, technology and culture of the operation.

Under terms of the agreement, AT&T Consumer will continue to be responsible for establishing strategic business direction, defining marketing strategies and designing product offerings. Accenture will be responsible for providing new technology development and ongoing management direction for the transformation of AT&T Consumer’s long distance sales and customer care operation.

“This is a terrific business opportunity for both companies and a positive development for consumers, employees and shareowners,” said Betsy Bernard, AT&T Consumer president and chief executive officer. “This agreement will enable us to continue to deliver the world-class customer care consumers rightly expect from AT&T, while at the same time transform our business to dramatically increase our operational efficiency and significantly reduce costs.”

As part of the agreement, AT&T will provide the vast majority of employees for the “co-sourced” operation. These people will remain on the AT&T payroll, collecting the same AT&T salary and benefits they currently enjoy, and most will continue to perform the same work they do today while reporting to their current AT&T supervisor or manager. Going forward, these costs will become part of the “co-sourced” agreement.

Accenture, in turn, will provide personnel who will help lead the transformation and implement technology and process improvements. Specifically, Accenture will be responsible for deploying innovative new technology to transform AT&T Consumer’s customer care computer and systems infrastructure to enrich AT&T’s interactions with its customers. Accenture also will deliver innovative training and performance management techniques that, in the end, will result in AT&T’s customer care representatives having the leading-edge tools and information they need to serve customers quickly and efficiently for years to come.

The “co-sourced” operation will be led by Bill Stake, currently vice president for AT&T Consumer’s sales and customer care organization.

There will be no immediate change in the ways customers interact with AT&T Consumer. And there are long-term benefits designed into the agreement to enhance customer care and build on AT&T’s tradition of world-class customer service.

Both companies said that today’s agreement also is expected to result in significant savings for AT&T. Specifically, AT&T Consumer said the “co-sourced” operation will enable the company to improve productivity and flexibility while reducing sales and customer care costs by more than half over the life of the agreement.

“AT&T and Accenture are transforming an award-winning sales and customer care team by merging the experience and skills of both organizations,” said Joe Forehand, Accenture chairman and CEO. “This, combined with state-of-the-art technology, will enable AT&T Consumer to serve its customers more quickly and efficiently than ever before.”

Bernard said today’s announcement stemmed from AT&T Consumer’s strategic imperatives to manage the business for cash while transforming its service-delivery operation, even as it explores new opportunities for growth while preparing to become a tracking stock later this year. She emphasized that the company will benefit by having an even clearer expectation of its sales and customer care costs since they’re clearly articulated in the agreement with Accenture.

Bernard said the agreement includes strong performance metrics to ensure the “co-sourced” operation meets quality standards consistent with AT&T’s. The agreement also includes upside opportunities for Accenture and AT&T if the “co-sourced” operation surpasses certain targets, and the ability for AT&T to earn service credits from Accenture if the “co-sourced” operation misses certain targets.

Both companies said the agreement is effective immediately.

About AT&T
AT&T (www.att.com) is among the world’s premier voice, video and data communications companies, serving consumers, businesses and government. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company runs the world’s largest, most sophisticated communications network and is the largest cable operator in the U.S. The company is a leading supplier of data and Internet services for businesses and offers outsourcing, consulting and networking-integration to large businesses.

About Accenture
Accenture is the world’s leading management consulting and technology services organization. Through its network of businesses approach — in which the company enhances its consulting and outsourcing expertise through alliances, affiliated companies and other capabilities — Accenture delivers innovations that help clients across all industries quickly realize their visions. With more than 75,000 people in 47 countries, the company generated net revenues of $11.44 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Editor’s note: NEWS BRIEFING CONFERENCE CALL
AT&T and Accenture will hold a news briefing conference call at 1:30 p.m. (Eastern time) today with Betsy Bernard, AT&T Consumer president and chief executive officer, and Joe Forehand, Accenture chairman and chief executive officer. The number for today’s briefing is 1-800-288-8961 (U.S.) or 1-612-288-0337 (international). No access code is required. Trouble number: 1-866-892-1640 (U.S.) and 1-612-334-6983 (international). A replay of the news conference will be available for 24 hours beginning this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern time) at 1-800-475-6701, access code 623652 (U.S.), or 1-320-365-3844, access code 623652 (international).

The foregoing are "forward-looking statements" which are based on management’s beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made by and information currently available to management. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside AT&T’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please see AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is presented solely to provide additional information to further understand the results of AT&T.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions and other factors, including those discussed in the Accenture Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accenture undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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Hello, world!

If you feel so bad why can't you pay Pete Bennett for services rendered between June 2001 and October 2001. Are you afraid AT&T might be liable for cost related to 9/11?

“Big mistake”: Heads are rolling at AT&T over payments to Michael Cohen

By Max de HaldevangMay 11, 2018

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson didn’t mince his words in a memo to staff: ”Our reputation has been damaged. There is no other way to say it—AT&T hiring Michael Cohen as a political consultant was a big mistake,” he wrote, according to a memo obtained by CNBC.

Top executive Bob Quinn is leaving the company over the decision to pay $600,000 to president Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. Stephenson framed the departure as Quinn “retiring,” though the Wall Street Journal reports (paywall) he is being ousted.

The telecoms giant funneled the money to Cohen through the same shell company used to pay hush money to Trump’s alleged former partner Stormy Daniels. Stephenson writes that the payment was a “serious misjudgment,” adding that the “vetting process clearly failed.”

Read the statement in full:

All AT&T employees worldwide Team, Our company has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons these last few days and our reputation has been damaged. There is no other way to say it – AT&T hiring Michael Cohen as a political consultant was a big mistake.
To be clear, everything we did was done according to the law and entirely legitimate. But the fact is, our past association with Cohen was a serious misjudgment. In this instance, our Washington D.C. team’s vetting process clearly failed, and I take responsibility for that.
Here is more information on this issue, if you’re interested. For the foreseeable future, the External & Legislative Affairs (E&LA) group will report to our General Counsel David McAtee. Bob Quinn, Senior Executive Vice President – E&LA, will be retiring. David’s number one priority is to ensure every one of the individuals and firms we use in the political arena are people who share our high standards and who we would be proud to have associated with AT&T.
To all of you who work tirelessly every day to serve customers and represent the brand proudly, thank you. My personal commitment to you is – we will do better.

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Energy Transportation Systems Inc v. Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railway

Background Documents ETSI

 

ENERGY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INC. DELAWARE CORPORATION WRITE REVIEW Address:   Corporation Trust Center 1209 Orange St Wilmington, DE 19801 Registered Agent:   The Corporation Trust Company Filing Date:   July 26, 1973 File Number:   793416 Contact Us About The Company Profile For Energy Transportation Systems Inc.	ENERGY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INC. KANSAS FOREIGN FOR-PROFIT WRITE REVIEW Address:   100 West Tenth Street Wilmington, DE 19899 Registered Agent:   The Corporation Company Filing Date:   May 07, 1974 File Number:   7082167 Contact Us About The Company Profile For Energy Transportation Systems Inc.
ENERGY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, INC. LOUISIANA BUSINESS CORPORATION (NON-) WRITE REVIEW Address:   50 Beale St. San Francisco, CA 94105 Registered Agent:   C T Corporation System Filing Date:   February 24, 1978 File Number:   32123770F Contact Us About The Company Profile For Energy Transportation Systems, Inc.	ENERGY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INC. OKLAHOMA FOREIGN FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS CORPORATION WRITE REVIEW Address:   735 1st Natl Bldg Okc, OK 73102 Registered Agent:   The Corporation Company Filing Date:   May 07, 1974 File Number:   2300271638 Contact Us About The Company Profile For Energy Transportation Systems Inc.
ENERGY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INC. SOUTH DAKOTA FOREIGN BUSINESS WRITE REVIEW Address:   319 S. Coteau Street Pierre, SD 57501-3108 Registered Agent:   C T Corporation System Filing Date:   November 02, 1973 File Number:   FB004508 Contact Us About The Company Profile For Energy Transportation Systems Inc.

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Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies and the 25 Million Dollar ComputerLand Refund to Apple Computrer

Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies

During the 1990s just after the Dot Com Boom started software developer Pete Bennett founded Authentic Technologies with the intent of developing commercial applications for the Windows Operating System.

As time moved by paying projects moved towards to this thing called the internet.  Eventually projects arrived with MS Outlook, MS Access and SQL Server using ASP/HTML server pages. 

Bennett developed strong skills in Administration of Windows Server (3.5 forward), Novell, Windows OS and MS Exchange while also creating applications for various clients.

Along the way Authentic Technologies joined the Contra Costa Software Business Incubator back 1998 was located the Concord Gateway Building owned by Albert D. Seeno controlling interest of Sierra Properties.

The services provided were nearly pathetic, many firms not paying,  favorites everywhere and for the firm about 30K in the tank. 

The Stifling Competition involves the Pete Bennett to companies using the H-1b Visa, Companies Connected to Outsourcing where far too many occurences of witness intimidation, murders and good ole' racketeering 

Inquiry signals Barr’s deep interest in tech sector, poses threat to companies such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple

By

Brent Kendall

Updated July 23, 2019 5:34 pm ET

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department is opening a broad antitrust review into whether dominant technology firms are unlawfully stifling competition, adding a new Washington threat for companies such as Facebook Inc., Google, Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc.

The review is geared toward examining the practices of online platforms that dominate internet search, social media and retail services, the department said, confirming the review shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported it.

...

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Board Member:Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr

Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.

Retired Global Chief Executive Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited

Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.

Retired Global Chief Executive Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited

Director since 2015
Mr. Di Piazza served as Global Chief Executive Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (an international professional services firm) from 2002 until his retirement in 2009. Mr. Di Piazza began his 36-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC formerly Coopers & Lybrand) in 1973 and was named Partner in 1979 and Senior Partner in 2000. From 1979 to 2002, Mr. Di Piazza held various regional leadership positions with PwC. After his retirement from PwC, Mr. Di Piazza joined Citigroup where he served as Vice Chairman of the Global Corporate and Investment Bank from 2011 until 2014. Since 2010, Mr. Di Piazza has served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Mayo Clinic. He received his B.S. in accounting from the University of Alabama and earned his M.S. in tax accounting from the University of Houston. He served as a Director of DIRECTV from 2010 until the company was acquired by AT&T Inc. in 2015.
Qualifications, Attributes, Skills, and Experience
Mr. Di Piazza’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his executive leadership skills, his vast experience in public accounting with a major accounting firm, and his experience in international business and affairs, all strong attributes for the Board of AT&T. His qualifications also include his prior service as a director of DIRECTV, a digital entertainment services company that we acquired.
Other Public Company Directorships: Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated; ProAssurance Corporation; Regions Financial Corporation
Past Directorships: DIRECTV (2010-2015)

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