Tulsa World:
A part-owner of Dollar Rent-A-Car franchises in Washington and Oregon has filed a lawsuit that seeks to halt the proposed acquisition of Tulsa-based Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. by Avis Budget Group Inc.
Filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, the lawsuit alleges the proposed acquisition of Dollar Thrifty by Avis Budget would create the largest airport car rental firm in the United States with 41 percent of the airport car rental market.
“If the proposed acquisition is consummated, the industry will have gone from 16 car rental competitors to three in less than two decades,†the lawsuit says. “The significant increase in market concentration that will result from the proposed acquisition is likely to substantially lessen competition, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton (Antitrust) Act by increasing the ability and likelihood that the three remaining market participants will expressly or tacitly coordinate reductions in supply and increases in price, resulting in injury to consumers such as plaintiffs.â€
