Until relatively recently, private equity buyers were viewed as largely benign. Where antitrust regulators expressed concerns with private equity buyers, it was generally in the context of them being viewed as sub-optimal...more
Traditionally, private equity firms were seen as benign investors from an antitrust perspective. This is changing. In the past 12 months, PE-funded acquisitions have faced progressively more rigorous scrutiny by antitrust...more
2/28/2024
/ Antitrust Division ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Merger Controls ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Firms ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Global deal value and volume fell again in 2023, down 33% and 18% respectively compared to 2022. This is unsurprising, given persistently tough macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical tensions. Dealmakers are also facing an...more
2/28/2024
/ Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Australia ,
Competition Authorities ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Merger Controls ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The U.S. federal government is facing a possible shutdown beginning this Sunday, October 1, 2023. Congress has until September 30, which marks the end of the fiscal year, to enact appropriations for government agencies and...more
10/2/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
CFIUS ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Foreign Investment ,
Funding ,
Government Shutdown ,
Investment ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
U.S. Treasury
On July 19, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Antitrust Division announced sweeping changes to how they review deals. The agencies published new “Merger Guidelines” that identify the competition...more
7/24/2023
/ Acquisition Agreements ,
Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Corporate Sales Transactions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Horizontal Merger Guidelines ,
Merger Agreements ,
Merger Controls ,
Regulatory Reform
As we look ahead to the second half of 2023, the outlook for M&A remains complex. In the six months to the end of June, global deal value stood at USD1.2 trillion, around one-third of last year’s annual total.
...more
On June 27, 2023, the FTC announced a notice of proposed amendments to the premerger filing requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act....more
We have collected and analysed data on merger control activity for 2022 from 26 jurisdictions. We give you the key trends and developments from the past year, focusing in particular on the EU, UK, U.S. and China.
...more
In early March we published our latest Global trends in merger control enforcement report. In it, we analyse data for 2020 from 26 jurisdictions (focusing on the EU, UK, U.S., and China) and look ahead at what to expect from...more
Merger review processes are being impacted worldwide as merger control authorities adapt to take account of the consequences of Covid 19. While critical transactions are likely to be reviewed, as far as possible, in...more
Merger review processes are being impacted worldwide as merger control authorities adapt to take account of the consequences of Covid-19 coronavirus. While critical transactions are likely to be reviewed, as far as possible,...more
Merger review processes are being impacted worldwide as merger control authorities adapt to take account of the consequences of Covid-19. While critical transactions are likely to be reviewed, as far as possible, in...more
11/13/2020
/ Competition ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Jurisdiction ,
Merger Controls ,
Regulatory Standards
We have collected and analysed data on merger control activity for 2015 from 16 jurisdictions, focussing on the U.S., EU and China, pulling out key trends aswell as practical differences. The results are insightful and, in...more