In an eight-page Statement joined by the two other sitting Commissioners, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson on May 30, 2025 explained his reasoning for accepting a divestiture remedy proposed by Synopsis, Inc. and Ansys, Inc. to...more
On April 10, 2025, the Senate confirmed Mark Meador to serve as the third Republican on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a 50-46 party line vote. Commissioner Meador takes his seat on a Commission now comprised of three...more
The FTC took two actions on February 26, 2025 to emphasize its continued focus on labor markets and to rededicate its efforts to a policy priority in common with those of the previous Administration. First, the FTC approved...more
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced to FTC staff on February 18 that the FTC would retain the 2023 Merger Guidelines as the framework for reviewing mergers and acquisitions. Citing the need for...more
Days before President Trump’s inauguration, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) replaced their Antitrust Guidance for Human Resources Professionals (“2016...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) secured a record consent penalty of $5.6 million against two merging parties on January 7, 2025 for improper pre-merger coordination, marking the agency’s first gun-jumping action in over a...more
1/13/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gun-Jumping ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Premerger Notifications
On November 12, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) published its Final Rule and Statement of Basis and Purpose amending the Premerger Notification and Report Form filed for transactions reported under the...more
On October 10, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released final revisions of the rules that govern filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (“HSR”) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “Final Rules”). The...more
On October 10, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released final revisions of the rules that govern filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (“HSR”) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “Final Rules”). The...more
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has filed a Complaint and a proposed Consent Order that would bar the CEO of oil company Hess from sitting on the Board of Chevron after the merger of the two companies. According to the...more
Private equity investments in health care to be subject to increased oversight from federal and state regulators, including antitrust officials -
Federal and state governmental regulation of health care transactions...more
7/3/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Health Care Providers ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Firms ,
Request For Information
On May 9, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the formation of the Antitrust Division’s Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (“HCMC”). The HCMC “will guide the division’s enforcement strategy and...more
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted 3-2 to adopt a Final Rule banning virtually all non-compete agreements between employers and employees. The Final Rule will not go into effect until 120...more
On January 22, the FTC announced updated dollar thresholds triggering the bar on interlocking officers and directors under Section 8 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 19. Section 8 of the Clayton Act prohibits one person from...more
On Monday December 18, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) released the final version of their Merger Guidelines (“Guidelines”), capping a nearly two-year effort to implement a policy...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
On July 19, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) released for comment proposed joint merger guidelines which seek to replace the agencies’ vertical merger guidelines released in 2020 and...more
Human resources ("HR”) departments have historically had little reason to hold antitrust law top of mind, as there was little in the way of enforcement activity concerning personnel issues. In recent years, however,...more
4/23/2018
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Best Practices ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
No-Poaching ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Recruitment Policies ,
Wage-Fixing