The identification, investigation and removal of persons who serve as directors or officers of two competing companies (i.e., “horizontal interlocks”) is a significant component of the Biden Administration’s antitrust...more
On January 22, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published its adjusted reporting thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (HSR Act). The FTC revises the HSR Act thresholds...more
On January 22, 2024, 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
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
In March 2023, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (DOJ) announced that five additional directors have resigned from four corporate boards in response to the DOJ’s efforts to enforce prohibitions against so-called...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
On January 26, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published its adjusted reporting thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (HSR Act). The FTC revises the HSR Act thresholds...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
BACKGROUND: The Rule - What It Means and What It Prohibits - A somewhat little-known and obscure provision of U.S. antitrust law – Section 8 of the Clayton Act – makes it illegal in certain circumstances for the same person...more
In April 2022, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (DOJ) previewed the DOJ’s intent to more aggressively enforce the prohibition on interlocking directorates under...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
In 2021, the Biden administration pledged to ramp up antitrust enforcement efforts through an executive order. The next year, the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter announced the agency would...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
Back in April 2022, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jonathan Kanter hinted very strongly that the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) would be looking at Section 8 violations of the Clayton Act. That...more
The Antitrust Division announced last year that it intended to reinvigorate enforcement of Section 8 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits directors and officers serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors (with limited...more
Recent activity and statements from the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission signal that the federal agencies are likely to be more aggressive in pursuing enforcement against what they identify as...more
Key Points - Seven directors have resigned from the boards of five companies in response to U.S. DOJ concerns that their positions potentially violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 19, which prohibits a...more
Primary HSR filing threshold will be increased to $101 million - The Federal Trade Commission has announced revisions to HSR Act and Clayton Act Section 8 thresholds, which are indexed annually to account for prior year...more
The lowest U.S. merger notification threshold will exceed $100 million for the first time effective February 23, 2022. The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") announced that the Hart-Scott-Rodino ("HSR") Act filing...more
As required by the HSR Act, on January 21, 2022, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released its annual adjustments to the reporting thresholds. The key number to remember is now $101 million. Note, this is an increase...more
On February 2, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual adjustment of the thresholds that trigger premerger reporting obligations (and the mandatory waiting period) under the Hart-Scott Rodino (HSR)...more
U.S. merger notification thresholds decline for just the second time; take effect on March 4, 2021. The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") announced that the Hart-Scott-Rodino ("HSR") Act thresholds will decrease slightly in...more
This week, the Federal Trade Commission announced its 2020 adjustments to the Hart-Scott-Rodino ("HSR") Act thresholds. These thresholds determine which mergers and acquisitions must be reported to the federal government...more