CHAIR’S COLUMN

Qianwei Fu

Zelle LLP

Oakland, CA

As my tenure as Chair draws to a close, I am reminded of all we have accomplished in the past challenging year, as the Section and our practice continue to adapt and adjust to the changing environments in which they find themselves. I must take a moment to acknowledge and thank all the Section volunteers who contributed so much of their time and talent to help ensure the continued effectiveness and vitality of our Section. The Section could not function without your dedication and hard work.

We began the year with strategic planning by setting up a coherent set of objectives in the four subject areas of the Section’s work: programming, publication, diversity, and membership. These objectives are guideposts by which the Executive Committee aligns our effort with the Section’s mission: to engage, inform, and inspire generations of lawyers to further the practice of antitrust and competition law in California. In each of these subject areas, we implemented a series of integrated initiatives and changes aimed at improving the Section’s member services.

In programming, our objective is to consistently provide innovative, accessible, and high-quality programs that enrich Section members’ knowledge. In addition to delivering CLE programs on cutting-edge topics such as big tech and antitrust, litigation finance, and pandemic-related unfair business practices, the Section will hold its Fifth Annual "Celebrating Women in Competition Law in California" event in the Spring, featuring a panel of female trailblazers of the competition bar who will share their paths to leadership and advice for navigating gender-based obstacles. On November 18, 2021, our flagship annual conference, the Golden State Institute, will return to the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. Immediately following the conference is a reception and dinner/ceremony honoring Daniel M. Wall of Latham & Watkins LLP as the 2021 "Antitrust Lawyer of the Year." A truly iconic figure in antitrust, Dan has litigated landmark antitrust matters throughout his forty-year career, with a focus on the evolving field of high-tech antitrust law. I hope many of you can join us at this annual event. Register while seats last!

In publication, our objective is to provide an academic forum and effective research tool for antitrust and UCL practitioners through timely delivery of high-quality treatise, scholarly articles, and practice-oriented legal analysis. Publication has long been an important focus of the Section, and this year was no exception. As part of the yearly updates of our beloved treatise, California Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law, we are embarking on the process of refreshing and improving the content of many chapters. We have also expanded the coverage of the Section’s monthly newsletter—now called E-briefs, News and Notes—to include review of noteworthy cases, "deeper dive" articles on selected topics of interest, significant antitrust agency press releases, and other news items. We published two themed issues of Competition on hotly debated antitrust issues, policies, and reforms. To ensure top-quality publications, the publication team is also in the process of establishing guidelines for manuscript preparation and submission requirements. One of the immediate goals is to increase diversity of authors and contributors, and articles on inclusion and social justice. We have successfully expanded the contributor pools for all three publications. In particular, this Fall edition includes articles that will enhance awareness and encourage examination of inclusion and social justice.

In the area of diversity, our objective is to actively promote diversity and meaningful inclusion within the Section and antitrust practice in general. The Diversity & Inclusion Committee oversees the Executive Committee’s various selection processes to ensure compliance with the Section’s Diversity Initiative goals, conducts review of the Section’s programs and activities to identify areas of improvement, and develops methods and strategies in furtherance of the Section’s diversity goals. This past year, the D&I Committee devoted considerable time and effort in launching the Section’s inaugural Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship. We congratulate the Section’s inaugural Fellowship recipient, LeeAnna Bowman-Carpio, and thank our law firm and corporate sponsors for their generous support of the Fellowship program. But the D&I Committee has so much more to offer. To enhance diversity in the antitrust practice by supporting and nurturing diverse law students and early-career attorneys, the Committee organized presentations on "Pathways to Antitrust" to law students with the goal of introducing the students to different verticals of antitrust practice. The Committee also anticipates developing a podcast and learning modules to offer skills training for diverse and early-career lawyers.

In the area of membership, our objective is to engage and grow the Section’s membership. Particularly gratifying is the progress made this year toward the implementation of the Section’s website. The new website (https://calawyers.org/section/antitrust-unfair-competition-law/) is easy to navigate, content rich, and frequently refreshed. As a Section member, this is your one-stop portal for all membership benefits, including the CLE catalog, past editions of monthly newsletters, past issues of Competition, the mentorship program, and more. Please take the time to visit the Section’s website and see what the Section has being doing. I hope that you will consider either joining the Section if you are not currently a member, or, if you are already a member, increasing your participation in the activities and programs the Section offers. I am sure if you choose to participate in the activities and programs sponsored by the Section, you will discover and experience the great benefit that such participation can bring. We are always looking to embrace new members, and I have no doubt that your participation will contribute significantly to enhancement of our mission and goals.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve the Section. I look forward to watching the continued progress that will be made under the leadership of our new Chair, David Goldstein, and the continued involvement of a very able and talented Executive Committee. Finally, thanks to Courtney Palko, Trevor Stockinger, and Elizabeth Castillo, who have been indispensable in bringing the Section success during their tenures on the Executive Committee. And thanks to our Section Coordinators Erin Ravenscraft and Victoria Loeffler for their support throughout the year.