Compliance Into The Weeds - Antitrust Issues in Microsoft Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Everything Compliance - Episode 93 - The Activision Blizzard Edition
After almost 2 years of negotiations over a new interactive media agreement with video game industry giants such as Activision, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co., video game performers voted to strike as of...more
In another impactful decision, the Delaware Court of Chancery in Sjunde AP-Fonden v. Activision Blizzard Inc. again stressed the importance of the statutory text of the DGCL to dismiss claims by the plaintiffs alleging that...more
Activision Blizzard Inc. finds itself entangled in a legal maelstrom as top players of its flagship video game Call of Duty allege an unlawful monopoly over professional leagues and tournaments. Filed in a Los Angeles federal...more
In the ever-evolving world of gaming and esports, Microsoft’s monumental $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has not only reshaped the industry but also navigated a complex path of antitrust scrutiny. Over the...more
Last month, we discussed where things stand regarding Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Blizzard, Inc. (“Activision”) in light of domestic and international challenges to the proposed deal. This week, the...more
On January 18, 2022, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, one of the world’s most-valuable gaming companies, was announced. In April 2023, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal on...more
Since the announcement of a proposed merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, Inc. (“Activision”) in February 2022, enforcement agencies worldwide have adopted a spectrum of positions in response. The EU Commission...more
In the latest of a string of losses for antitrust enforcers, the Northern District of California resoundingly denied the FTC’s bid to enjoin the Microsoft-Activision merger, allowing the deal to proceed a week in advance of...more
This past Tuesday, July 11, a federal judge ruled against the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) request to the District Court of Northern California to issue a preliminary injunction against Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion...more
On Monday, the FTC lost its bid to preliminarily enjoin Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, the maker of the popular video game, “Call of Duty.” Based on a vertical foreclosure theory, this case marks the fourth loss for...more
On April 3, the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division (DOJ) filed a complaint against and settlement with Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Activision), alleging the company violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act....more
On April 3, 2023, the Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) filed a civil complaint against Activision Blizzard Inc. (“Activision”) alleging that the “competitive balance tax” constituted an unreasonable restraint of trade under...more
In a $35 million settlement that emphasizes the “S” for social in Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) issues in public filings, publicly traded video game developer Activision Blizzard, Inc. has agreed with...more
The SEC has been pushing the envelope on enforcement initiatives. At the same time, the SEC is pushing new disclosure obligations like cybersecurity and climate change. The SEC is following up on the importance of...more
Key Points - On February 3, 2023, Activision Blizzard settled charges with the SEC, agreeing to pay $35 million to resolve novel claims that the company failed to maintain adequate disclosure controls to track workplace...more
Activision Blizzard Workplace Misconduct Allegations Transformed into Securities Violations - In another victory for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Climate and ESG Task Force, videogame developer...more
On February 3, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that Activision Blizzard Inc. (“Activision”) — the publicly traded video game developer and publisher of such well-known videogames as “Candy...more
DOJ Sees First Merger Win After String of Losses - Penguin Random House’s planned acquisition of rival Simon & Schuster was blocked by Judge Florence Pan of the US District Court for the District of Columbia on November...more
Current and Former Employees Encouraged to File a Claim of Sexual Harassment, Pregnancy Discrimination, and Related Retaliation to Share in $18 Million Claim Fund - LOS ANGELES – On March 30, 2022, a federal court approved...more
Target and Walmart may have taken it on the chin last quarter, but solid results from other retailers—from Macy’s to the Dollars (Tree and General)—“defied Wall Street’s expectations” and helped boost stocks on Thursday. The...more
Broadcom is in the throes of negotiations that would see it pay nearly $60 billion for VMWare Inc. in “what would be one of the biggest takeover deals of the year.” News of the potential deal by Broadcom, “a semiconductor...more
..Two shifts in merger control enforcement in the U.S. have emerged that are impacting the technology space: an increase in challenges of vertical transactions and increased scrutiny and enforcement with respect to deals...more
While global dealmaking in Q1 was down from a blockbuster 2021, there are signs deal activity could pick up later in the year - Following a record-breaking year for dealmaking, 2022 has had a relatively slow start. A total...more
White House officials are mulling over a plan that would “release one million barrels of oil a day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for as long as 180 days,” a move intended to ease sticker shock at the pump for Americans...more
In January, Microsoft announced its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard, one of the largest video game publishers in the world. The roughly $69 billion deal constitutes the biggest gaming industry transaction of all time. ...more