The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Competition has issued new guidance relating to the merger filing process. Effective September 27, 2021, the FTC will recommend enforcement action for companies that fail to include debt to be paid at closing in calculating the transaction value for purposes of the HSR Act. With the risk of … Continue Reading
As businesses continue to deal with the repercussions of extended lockdowns, the U.S. government is on the lookout for enterprises that may use the pandemic as a cover to pursue anticompetitive endeavors. In April, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act (the Proposed Act) with the aim of … Continue Reading
On February 5, 2020, Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim spoke at the Media Institute on the current merger review landscape (see Makan Delrahim, “Getting Better: Progress and Remaining Challenges in Merger Review”). While he celebrated an administrative success, he also forewarned of a formidable obstacle to effective agency enforcement. Delrahim remarked that since the Antitrust … Continue Reading
On February 15, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual threshold adjustments for premerger filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (HSR). The new thresholds have increased the dollar amount required to trigger HSR notification for both the size-of-transaction test and the size-of-person test. Members … Continue Reading
