NCAA vs. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma: A Win for Antitrust Law and College Football Fans
Under the old guard of the prior administration, private equity was repeatedly under fire for alleged “flip and strip” tactics that were supposedly “at odds with competition.” Now, with new enforcers in place, a different...more
Illinois Attorney General (AG) Kwame Raoul and Minnesota AG Keith Ellison have joined the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a lawsuit to block the acquisition of Surmodics Inc. by GTCR BC Holdings LLC, two major manufacturers...more
On March 7, 2025, the FTC filed a complaint in federal court seeking to block GTCR BC Holdings, LLC, a Chicago private equity firm, from acquiring Surmodics, Inc. The FTC alleges that Surmodics is the leading provider of a...more
On January 17, in the final days of the Biden Administration, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement with private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson, and Rowe (Welsh Carson) in lieu of bringing an...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced the launch of “an easily accessible online portal for the public to report health care...more
Private equity is squarely in the cross hairs of regulators; the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the launch of a...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act notification thresholds. The HSR Act requires all persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions, which meet or exceed...more
On December 18, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) (collectively, the “Agencies”) published the long-awaited final 2023 Merger Guidelines. The 2023 Merger Guidelines are informed...more
The FTC and DOJ have continued their efforts to take action against private equity firms for engaging in serial acquisitions (so-called "roll-ups"). The agencies claim that these deals increase prices and degrade quality for...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
The FTC has agreed to a consent order to resolve antitrust concerns surrounding a proposed $5.2 billion cash-and-stock deal that would make private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners one of the largest shareholders of...more
Antitrust enforcement has been heating up over the last few years in several areas – notably in healthcare and labor. As the antitrust climate intensifies and spreads, private equity (PE) firms are starting to feel the heat,...more
In this article we discuss the evolving global attention towards a less common theory of harm: common ownership. We conclude by assessing the notably bullish approach taken by the Hellenic Competition Commission (the “HCC”),...more
The Biden Administration's aggressive antitrust enforcers have trained their sights on private equity companies. They have signaled through enforcement activities, formal policy statements and informal interviews and speeches...more
US antitrust enforcers have signaled that private equity firms are the prime targets for upcoming aggressive antitrust merger enforcement. In a recent interview, US Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter stated that the...more
On February 18, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the divestiture order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in a private merger challenge brought by...more