Active participation in the Chief Actuaries Forum is an important aspect of membership. While the positive contributions of professional societies and associations are well-recognized and encouraged, association activities are vulnerable to close antitrust scrutiny. By their very nature, associations bring together industry competitors and other market participants.

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The United States antitrust laws aim to protect consumers by preserving the free economy and prohibiting anti-competitive business practices; they promote competition; they prohibit every contract, combination or conspiracy that places an unreasonable restraint on trade; they deem illegal any act of price fixing, market allocation and collusive bidding.

 

Association meeting participants should refrain from discussing any activity that could potentially be construed as having an anti-competitive effect. Discussions relating to product or service pricing, market allocations, membership restrictions, product standardization or other conditions on trade could arguably be perceived as a restraint on trade and may expose the CAF and its members to antitrust enforcement procedures.

 

While participating in any CAF related activities, you should avoid discussing competitively sensitive information with competitors and follow these guidelines:

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• Do not discuss prices for services or products or anything else that might affect prices.

• Do not discuss what you or other entities plan to do in a geographic area or product markets or with customers.

• Do not speak on behalf of the CAF or any of its committees unless specifically authorized to do so.

• Do leave a meeting where any anticompetitive pricing or market allocation discussion occurs.

• alert CAF officers, directors or legal counsel to any discussions of concern.

• Do consult with legal counsel before raising any matter or making a statement that may involve competitively sensitive information.

 

Adherence to these guidelines involves not only avoidance of antitrust violations, but avoidance of behavior which might be so construed. These guidelines provide only an overview of prohibited activities. Antitrust compliance is everyone’s responsibility.