On July 19, 2023, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (together, the Agencies) released a draft set of revised Merger Guidelines (the Revised Guidelines) to set forth the...more
On June 27, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with the concurrence of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, announced a wide range of significant proposed changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) pre-merger...more
On February 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (DOJ) announced that it is withdrawing three policy statements the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued between 1993 and 2011, related to...more
2/7/2023
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Healthcare ,
Information Sharing ,
Joe Biden ,
Safe Harbors ,
Sherman Act ,
Third-Party Service Provider
On January 26, 2023, the FTC published a Notice in the Federal Register announcing the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a)...more
Earlier this month — July 9, 2022 — marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy (Executive Order). The Executive Order was notable in its breadth and...more
7/27/2022
/ Beverage Manufacturers ,
Biden Administration ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Manufacturers ,
FRAND ,
FTC Act ,
Healthcare ,
Manufacturers ,
Memorandum of Understanding ,
Mergers ,
NIST ,
NLRB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
ROI ,
USDA ,
USPTO
In 2022, automotive suppliers face many of the same issues that have bedeviled the industry throughout 2021, as well as a host of all-new challenges. Unfortunately, as with many aspects of pre-pandemic life, the relative...more
3/17/2022
/ Automotive Industry ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corruption ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
IMMEX ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
Mexico ,
Motor Vehicles ,
National Security ,
NHTSA ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
OEM ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
OMB ,
Supply Chain ,
Supply Shortages ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vertical Mergers
On January 24, 2022, the Federal Register published an FTC notice announcing the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR)....more
On Friday, July 9, 2021, President Biden issued a sweeping Executive Order that could have far-reaching implications for businesses across a broad spectrum of industries. The Executive Order takes a government-wide approach...more
7/15/2021
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Healthcare ,
Joe Biden ,
Manufacturers ,
Mergers ,
No-Poaching ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Wage-Fixing
The antitrust outlook in the United States is marked by uncertainty. This article identifies some issues to watch.
Some Recent Surprises -
Historically, U.S. antitrust enforcement has been marked more by continuity...more
On February 2, 2021, the Federal Register published an FTC notice announcing the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR)....more
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects to date, including economic uncertainty and widespread business interruptions. This environment may raise unique considerations for parties contemplating an M&A transaction....more
10/9/2020
/ Alternative Fee Arrangements ,
Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) ,
Business Interruption ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Due Diligence ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Investment Banks ,
IRS ,
Loan to Own ,
Mezzanine Lenders ,
Representations and Warranties Insurance
On September 3, 2020, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) released a Merger Remedies Manual, updating its 2004 Policy Guide to Merger Remedies. (DOJ’s 2011 Policy Guide to Merger Remedies was withdrawn by DOJ...more
On June 30, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) released their first jointly issued Vertical Merger Guidelines. These Guidelines replace DOJ’s Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines...more
Amid the national coronavirus emergency, the antitrust enforcement agencies remain open for business. However, like the rest of these country, these agencies—the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission...more
On January 28, 2020, the Federal Register published an FTC notice with the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR). Once the...more
1/30/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Filing Fees ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Interlocking Directorate ,
Mergers ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Section 8 ,
Size of Persons Test ,
Size of Transaction Test ,
The Clayton Act ,
Threshold Requirements
On January 10, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) released for public comment draft Vertical Merger Guidelines. Vertical mergers are those that combine companies...more
1/23/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Comment Period ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Draft Guidance ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Horizontal Merger Guidelines ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Vertical Mergers
In his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump frequently expressed populist themes, rhetorically criticizing “big business” and “special interests,” and signaled an activist antitrust agenda with his comment in October 2016...more
10/10/2019
/ Aetna ,
Antitrust Division ,
Arbitration ,
AT&T ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mergers ,
Sprint ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
T-Mobile ,
Technology Sector ,
Time Warner ,
Trump Administration ,
Tunney Act
On March 4, 2019, the Federal Register published FTC notices with the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under both the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR) and...more
The antitrust outlook in the United States in 2018 continues to present uncertainty. Below, we look to identify some sources of that uncertainty and offer some predictions for industries, including the auto industry, for the...more
On January 29, 2018, the FTC published the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under both the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR) and Section 8 of the Clayton Act (15...more
2/1/2018
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Filing Fees ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Interlocking Directorate ,
Mergers ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Size of Transaction Test ,
The Clayton Act ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Voting Securities
We expect that this year’s antitrust outlook will continue to carry a degree of uncertainty, whether in the United States, the European Union, or elsewhere. Our next two posts will cover some of the causes of present...more
On January 26, 2017, the FTC published the latest annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds under both the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR) and Section 8 of the Clayton Act (15...more
1/30/2017
/ Acquisitions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Filing Fees ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Interlocking Directorate ,
Mergers ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Size of Persons Test ,
Size of Transaction Test ,
The Clayton Act ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Voting Securities
On May 28, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the settlement of its 2008 lawsuit against Cephalon, Inc. (now owned by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.), which alleged that Cephalon had made “reverse...more
6/2/2015
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Cephalon ,
Disgorgement ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC v Actavis ,
Generic Drugs ,
Hatch-Waxman ,
Pay-For-Delay ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Settlement ,
Teva Pharmaceuticals
In Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis, Inc., No. 12-416, 2013 U.S. LEXIS 4545 (U.S. June 17, 2013), the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Eleventh Circuit decision in FTC v. Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 677 F.3d 1298 (2012),...more
6/19/2013
/ Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) ,
Actavis Inc. ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC v Actavis ,
Generic Drugs ,
Patents ,
Pay-For-Delay ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reverse Payment Settlement Agreements ,
SCOTUS