Below is a summary of some of the most important points made by antitrust enforcers who participated in panels at the ABA Antitrust Section’s annual Spring Meeting....more
The size-of-transaction threshold under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act will increase to $119.5 million, and the largest filing fee will increase to $2.335 million. As a result of the increase in the U.S. Gross National Product...more
Key Points - The HSR Act requires parties that meet certain transaction size and other tests to file premerger notification forms for mergers and other transactions with both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and...more
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has revised the thresholds that govern pre-merger notification requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (“HSR Act”), and Section 8 of the...more
In January 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made three important announcements for M&A practitioners....more
For companies in the energy and chemical sectors, the potential for antitrust scrutiny is an ever-present concern. The next round of enforcement inquiries is never further away than the next jump in commodity prices or the...more
Companies should take a proactive approach as US antitrust agencies continue to enforce Section 8 of the Clayton Act. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division (the...more
On August 16, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced an agreement with natural gas producer EQT Corporation (EQT) and private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners (Quantum) to resolve concerns stemming from alleged...more
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent multipronged challenge to EQT Corporation’s acquisition from the Quantum Energy Partners private equity investment group “marks the FTC’s first case in 40 years that enforces...more
On August 16, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission took action to resolve its antitrust concerns associated with a proposed transaction between EQT Corporation (EQT) and private equity firm QEP Partners, LP (Quantum) pursuant...more
On August 16, 2023, the US Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) brought its first enforcement action under Section 8 of the Clayton Act in 40 years. At the same time, the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (“DOJ” and...more
The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced on August 16 that two directors of Pinterest Inc. and Nextdoor Holdings Inc. have resigned in response to an investigation into whether the...more
In late March, attendees gathered in Washington, D.C., for the ABA Antitrust Law Section’s 71st Annual Spring Meeting, including officials from state, federal and international antitrust enforcement agencies. These enforcers...more
The American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law Section held its annual Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, on March 29–31, 2023. The Spring Meeting sessions featured updates from federal, state, and international antitrust...more
Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has renewed enforcement efforts against “interlocking directorates” that violate Section 8 of the Clayton Act. This provision prohibits directors and...more
The Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice ("DOJ") continues to aggressively pursue alleged illegal interlocking directorates that violate Section 8 of the Clayton Act, and in particular, interlocks involving...more
On March 9, 2023, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that five directors resigned from four separate corporate boards and that another corporation declined to exercise its board...more
HSR Notice Thresholds Have Increased. On January 26, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its revised annual threshold that determines whether companies may be required to notify federal antitrust authorities...more
The new Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”) thresholds will go into effect on February 27, 2023 and will apply to all transactions closing on or after that date. As previewed in...more
On 23 January 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual jurisdictional adjustments for premerger notification filings made pursuant to Section 7A of the Clayton Act, known as the Hart-Scott-Rodino...more
Key Points - The HSR Act requires parties that meet certain transaction size and other tests to file premerger notification forms for mergers and other transactions with both the Federal Trade Commission and Department of...more
In January 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made three important announcements for M&A practitioners. This article summarizes the HSR Act’s requirements and reports on relevant developments in 2022....more
In 2022, antitrust authorities around the world were pursuing more investigations, bringing new types of cases, and making policy changes to spark even more enforcement actions. In the United States, the Department of...more
In April 2022, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, fired a warning shot to companies: “For too long, our Section 8 enforcement has essentially been limited to...more
On October 19, 2022, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a press release heralding the resignation of seven directors from ten companies’ boards of directors in response to the government’s...more