Shannon D. McGowan
Associate
Shannon McGowan is an associate in the Litigation department. Shannon's practice focuses on assisting clients navigate a range of antitrust issues. In addition to her experience on wide-ranging antitrust litigations, Shannon works with clients on general antitrust compliance and litigation issues. In connection with historic restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debts, Shannon advises the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico on a variety of issues related to Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act.
Shannon maintains an active pro bono practice, including assisting non-profit organizations with research into immigration and refugee law and representing individual clients in litigation to improve housing conditions in the Washington D.C. area.
Shannon earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she captained the school's Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court team. As an alumnae, she is active in advising the current UVA Jessup Team throughout the year-long competition.
Prior to law school, Shannon served as a legislative assistant to state representatives at the Oklahoma State House of Representatives, where she researched and advised on legislation and policy issues, including government transparency, education, and financial accountability.
Subscribe to all posts by Shannon D. McGowan
While states continue to lift their COVID related states of emergency, new price gouging claims are being made and ongoing price gouging litigation continues to wind through the courts. The federal government also now appears more poised than ever to intervene in price gouging issues. … Continue Reading
With the Biden administration ramping up scrutiny on supply chains and pricing practices, businesses should take a moment to revisit their COVID-19 price gouging compliance. As we’ve previously highlighted, risk management with ever-shifting price gouging restrictions requires careful consideration of documentation and oversight of pricing practices and decisions. For reputable companies up and down the … Continue Reading
As price gouging restrictions remain in place in many states and municipalities, new and ongoing enforcement actions continue to advance or settle. Over the past several weeks, we have seen a number of noteworthy developments in the most watched price gouging matters.… Continue Reading
On July 2, 2021, a group of consumers filed a putative class action in Washington District Court alleging Amazon engaged in unlawful price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic on a variety of products. The case is noteworthy because Washington does not have a specific price gouging statute. Instead, plaintiffs argue that the alleged price gouging … Continue Reading
Although many states of emergency have expired, new lawsuits that allege price gouging continue to be filed. On September 3, 2021, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a complaint in Minnesota state court against Sparboe Farms, Inc. alleging the company engaged in price gouging for the sale of eggs in violation of the Minnesota Governor’s … Continue Reading
In the early days of the pandemic, COVID-19 was synonymous with a mad dash for anti-virus home items like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and anti-bacterial wipes. Amazon emerged from the shopping frenzy as key source of these products and hosts of others. Even as many states are lifting states of emergency, businesses active during the … Continue Reading
On June 24, 2021, New York celebrated the lifting on most COVID-19 restrictions. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the COVID-19 state of emergency would officially expire. With the expiration of the emergency declaration, the state of New York’s price gouging restrictions were also lifted. The New York price gouging statute provides for certain pricing restrictions “during … Continue Reading
In recent weeks many states have either started lifting pricing restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic or announced their plans to do so. Still, some state governments have indicated that they will continue to hold pricing restrictions in place as a means of protecting consumer welfare as people return to normal spending habits … Continue Reading
After a bit of hiatus on aggressively challenging vertical mergers, regulators both here in the United States and abroad have resumed initiated actions to challenge vertical mergers. Traditionally a difficult lift for the FTC, vertical vergers involve companies above and below each other in the supply chain. Instead of directly competing, an upstream company acquires … Continue Reading
Many companies have increased prices in recent months. Reportedly, across the economy, prices “rose by 5 percent in May compared with a year ago.” Restaurants are raising prices to cover the cost of increases in wages in a tight labor market. The prices of used and rental cars are quickly rising, due to low inventory … Continue Reading
Even as Governors lift mask mandates and sporting events welcome fans to stadiums, some states are revisiting their price gouging laws. Recently, several states have advanced legislation to amend or create price gouging statutes. State governments are learning from experiences during COVID-19 emergencies and some are proposing legislation to adjust the scope, definitions, and penalties … Continue Reading
Last week, gas stations across much of the Southeast saw shortages, demand spikes, and price increases after a cyberattack on a major gasoline pipeline. Proskauer’s price gouging team authored a Law360 article addressing the lessons learned from the past year’s emergencies — whether related to COVID-19 or natural disasters — to analyze the grounds for … Continue Reading
Over a year ago, states of emergency were declared across the country. Such emergency declarations are often the trigger for state pricing restrictions. Tracking the start and end of the emergency declarations is essential for interpreting the pricing restrictions they impose. For instance, in Oklahoma, the pricing restrictions remain in place throughout the duration of … Continue Reading
In a unanimous opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 13(b) of the FTC Act does not authorize the Federal Trade Commission to seek monetary relief in the form of restitution or disgorgement, despite the agency’s redoubled practice of seeking such relief under the Act since 2012. The Court’s opinion significantly reshapes the FTC’s … Continue Reading
In a case of mistaken identity and a web of conflicting testimony, a Fresno local business successfully appealed a price gouging fine. The saga between the store and the City of Fresno offers insights in the importance of maintaining proper business records to defend potential price gouging allegations. On April 8, 2021, an Administrative Hearing … Continue Reading
State legislatures are still continuing to enact new changes to their states’ price gouging statutes. Some are expanding the scope of their laws, while others are tailoring the law or emergency orders in response to new issues that have arisen during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Idaho took a third tack and limited limit … Continue Reading
The majority of price gouging laws have been activated throughout the country for over a year now, but reports of price gouging continue, along with enforcement and lawsuits. While many are aware that price gouging restrictions apply to essential goods such as medical and emergency supplies, some covered goods are often mistakenly thought not to … Continue Reading
One year after declaring a state of emergency in California due to COVID-19, the California Governor issued a new Executive Order lifting pricing restrictions on most categories of products previously subject to California’s price gouging statute. Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2021 Order comes as states across the nation slowly reopen. This 2021 Executive Order marks a … Continue Reading
Across the globe, an increasing number of international regulators have opened inquiries or adopted new rules and regulations to address competition law concerns about digital platforms and digital markets. Whilst the spotlight is likely to initially fall on the conduct and business practices of large online platforms – the so-called gatekeepers – we expect international … Continue Reading
While PPE, toilet paper, and groceries make price gouging headlines, consumer goods are not the only goods covered by price gouging laws in many states. Less publicized, but equally important, lodging or housing may be found on lists of products covered by many price gouging statutes. A recent case in California offers a glimpse. In … Continue Reading
As Texas and other southern states thaw from a frigid winter storm, companies doing business in these states should assess and take steps to minimize the risk of a price gouging claims. As suits are filed in the wake of the storms, companies should prepare now to defend such claims, whether from state attorneys general … Continue Reading
The Sherman Act was passed in 1890. The Clayton Act in 1914. And they have hardly changed since. Last month, Senator Amy Klobuchar, the new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, proposed an overhaul of the antitrust laws: CLERA, the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act. … Continue Reading
Prices and Profits Dominating the News
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Revisiting Price Gouging Compliance
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia, Timothy E. Burroughs and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Price Gouging Litigation Continues Apace
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia, Timothy E. Burroughs, Shannon D. McGowan and Jennifer Tarr on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Online Marketplaces Could Expose Third-Party Sellers to Price Gouging Liability
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia, Jennifer Tarr, Shannon D. McGowan and Timothy E. Burroughs on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Minnesota Files Price Gouging Suit Against Egg Producer
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia, Shannon D. McGowan and Jennifer Tarr on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
E-Commerce Platform Facing Price Gouging Scrutiny
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
New York’s Overlapping Price Gouging Laws
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Hard to Say Goodbye: States Are Slowly Lifting States of Emergency
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Illuminating Vertical Merger Challenges: FTC Challenges Illumina’s Reacquisition of a Nascent Company it Founded
By Colin Kass, Joseph Hartunian and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Media and Technology
A Note of Caution: Inflation, Price Increases, and the Lingering States of Emergencies
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia, Kelly Landers Hawthorne, Shannon D. McGowan, Nathaniel Miller and Jennifer Tarr on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
COVID Winds Down, but States Ramp Up Price Gouging Legislation
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Is the Pipeline Interruption a Price Gouging Issue?
By Christopher E. Ondeck, Kelly Landers Hawthorne and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Updates to Price Gouging States of Emergency
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
The FTC’s Enforcement Power: How AMG Reshapes the Landscape
By Chantel L Febus, Jennifer Tarr, Kelly Landers Hawthorne and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Appellate, Asset Management, Federal Rules, Litigation, White Collar
A Comedy of Errors Sinks a Local Government’s Price Gouging Case
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, California Rules, Price Gouging
Idaho Says Pandemic Margin Boosts Are Lawful When Prices Fall
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia, Nathaniel Miller and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Beyond Essential Goods and Services: Price Gouging Laws Being Applied to a Wide Range of Products
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
The End of Price Restrictions in California… Or Merely a Step Towards Normal
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
Regulators Ready, Gladiators Ready – Digital Markets to Face Greater International Scrutiny
By Jade-Alexandra Fearns and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Media and Technology
Rental Properties Not Exempt From Price Gouging Laws
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, California Rules, Price Gouging
How to Freeze a Case: Defending a Price Gouging Suit after the Winter Storms
By Christopher E. Ondeck, John R. Ingrassia and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Price Gouging
CLERA or Murkier: Proposed Antitrust Legislation Raises Questions
By Colin Kass, David Munkittrick, Joseph Hartunian and Shannon D. McGowan on Posted in Antitrust, Federal Rules, Media and Technology
