Under the Biden administration, the U.S. antitrust agencies, particularly the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ or Antitrust Division), were unusually resistant to negotiated merger remedies. Instead, they...more
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued the Non-Compete Clause Rule (“Final Rule”). Under the Final Rule, after the effective date (120 days from publication in the Federal Register), almost all...more
In the nearly three years since President Biden took office, it has become clear that his Administration has sought to develop an “inflection point” for antitrust enforcement. Speeches by new leadership at both the U.S....more
Proposed FTC and DOJ Merger Guidelines Formalize Biden Administration’s Aggressive Vision for Merger Enforcement – Top Ten Takeaways -
When losing, some players seek to change the rules. Others seek to change the playing...more
Earlier this week, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (the “Antitrust Agencies”) announced proposed changes to the premerger notification process that mark the most...more
Last week, the FTC announced two significant moves. First, the FTC brought its first major standalone Section 5 actions, targeting certain companies’ employment noncompete agreements as unfair methods of competition. The very...more
1/10/2023
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Rules ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unfair Competition
- US Agencies Encourage COVID-19-Related Collaboration
- Practical Tips for Information Sharing & Document Creation
- Possible Delays to US Merger Approvals
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has, at least temporarily,...more
On January 28, 2020, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual changes to the thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”). The new size of transaction...more
1/29/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Interlocking Directorate ,
Mergers ,
Pre-Merger Filing Requirements ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Section 8 ,
Size of Persons Test ,
Size of Transaction Test ,
The Clayton Act ,
Threshold Requirements
Welcome to the 2019 Shearman & Sterling Antitrust Annual Report.
Our seventh edition focuses on the contrasting use by regulators of antitrust laws with respect to the FANGs, and how antitrust is being enforced in the U.S....more
7/24/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Criminal Liability ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Digital Media ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Leniency Programs ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
No-Poaching ,
Recruitment Policies ,
State Aid ,
Trump Administration ,
UK Brexit
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has revised, and once again raised, the thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”). The new HSR Act thresholds were published in...more
3/4/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Filing Fees ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Interlocking Directorate ,
Mergers ,
Pre-Merger Filing Requirements ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Section 8 ,
Size of Persons Test ,
Size of Transaction Test ,
The Clayton Act ,
Threshold Requirements
Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division (“Division”), announced a series of reforms that aim to expedite the Division’s merger review process....more
Divining trends in antitrust enforcement in a given presidential administration can take some time. Many commentators didn’t notice material changes in antitrust enforcement in the Obama administration – at least in merger...more
On January 26, 2018, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual changes to the thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”). The new size of transaction...more
On November 3, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint challenging Red Ventures’ proposed acquisition of Bankrate. The FTC alleged that the deal likely would have lessened competition in the market for...more
On September 26, the DOJ challenged Parker-Hannifin’s $4.3-billion consummated acquisition of Clarcor, serving as a reminder that receiving HSR clearance does not immunize transactions from being challenged, even after...more