News Release 1995-117 | October 30, 1995

OCC Sponsors Conference on Antitrust and Banking

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced it will host a conference on Antitrust & Banking: Emerging Issues in the New Banking Environment. The conference will be held on November 16, 1995, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency-Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Comptroller Eugene A. Ludwig will deliver the introductory remarks and moderate a panel discussion on current antitrust policy with John D. Hawke, Undersecretary of the Department of Treasury for Domestic Finance; Alan S. Blinder, Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Ann Bingaman, Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Antitrust; and professors Peter C. Carstensen from the University of Wisconsin Law School and Richard Schmalensee from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"The banking industry is changing rapidly. Mergers are creating ever-larger banks. The overall number of banking institutions is falling, and technology is changing the way banks do business. The purpose of this conference is to consider carefully the policy framework in which these changes are occurring," said Comptroller Ludwig.

Other panel discussions with bankers, economists, attorneys and key federal government policy makers will focus on the current antitrust policy framework, the economics and law of current developments, the structural changes taking place within the banking industry, competition in banking and recent institutional and technological changes that have affected this competition.

The legal and regulatory standards that have been established for mergers and banking conduct under the antitrust laws and related statutes will be considered in the context of recent merger activity.

This conference is the fourth in an OCC sponsored series of forums on critical banking policy issues. Earlier seminars covered Banking, Financial Markets and Systemic Risk, Small Business Lending and Issues Facing Foreign Banks in the U.S

Reporters may register in advance for the seminar by calling the OCC Press Relations Division at (202) 874-5770. Others interested in attending the conference should contact Ms. Helen Burdette at (202) 874-5250. The conference agenda is attached.

Antitrust & Banking: A Conference Sponsored by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Agenda

Thursday, November 16, 1995

8:00	Registration
8:30	Continental Breakfast
9:00	Introductory Remarks: Eugene A. Ludwig, Comptroller of the Currency
9:15	Session I: The Current Policy Framework Moderator: Konrad S. Alt Senior Deputy Comptroller, OCC Papers: "Antitrust in Banking: An Historical Perspective," Bernard Shull, Visiting Scholar, OCC & Professor, Department of Economics, Hunter College, CUNY "Current Merger Policy," Margaret Guerin-Calvert, Senior Vice President, Economists, Inc., Washington, D.C. Discussants: Lawrence White, Arthur E. Imperatore Professor of Economics, Stern School of Business, New York University Howard Kitt, Senior V.P., National Economic Research Associates, Inc. & Economics Editor, The Antitrust Bulletin.
10:30	Break
10:45	Session II. The Economics and Law of Current Developments Moderator: Stephen J. Weiss, Deputy Comptroller, Bank Organization & Structure, OCC Papers: "Shared ATM Networks: The Antitrust Dimension," Donald I. Baker, Partner, Baker & Miller PLLC "Recent Research on the Competitive Effects of Mergers," Stephen A. Rhoades, Asst. Director, Division of Research & Statistics, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System "Aggregate Concentration in Banking," Gary Whalen, Deputy Director, Division of Bank Research, OCC Discussants: Arnold Heggestead, Professor & Director of Entrepreneurial Services, University of Florida Paul Horvitz, Judge James A. Elkins Professor of Banking & Finance, University of Houston Gerald Hanweck, Professor & Assistant Dean, George Mason University
12:30	Luncheon
1:45	Session III. Industry Issues Moderator: Cynthia Glassman, Managing Director, Furash & Co. Panel: Lawrence Connell, President & CEO, Atlantic Bank N.A., Co-Chair, Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee Michael Greenspan, Esq., Attorney-at-law, Thompson & Mitchell Anthony Nanni, Chief of Litigation, I Section, U.S. Department of Justice Karen Neeley, General Counsel, Independent Bankers Association of Texas Brian W. Smith, Partner, Mayer, Brown & Platt
3:15	Break
3:30	Session IV. Critical Analysis of Current Policy Moderator: Eugene A. Ludwig, Comptroller of the Currency Panel: Ann Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice Alan S. Blinder, Vice Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System Peter Carstensen, Professor, University of Wisconsin Law School John D. Hawke, Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of the Treasury Richard Schmalensee, Gordon Y. Billard Professor of Economics & Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5:30	Reception

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