The U.K. Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), which is on the cusp of becoming an independent merger regulator post-Brexit, is already known for its readiness to investigate global digital deals, issue freezing orders and...more
Following its review of a series of global deals in the digital markets space, the U.K.’s Competition & Markets Authority (the CMA) has launched a consultation on revised merger assessment guidelines (the draft guidelines)...more
December 31, 2020, is the last day of the Brexit transition period under the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland From the European Union and the European Atomic Energy...more
10/6/2020
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
EU ,
Exhaustion Doctrine ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
State Aid ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Withdrawal Agreement
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads rapidly around the world, and countries take unprecedented measures to contain the spread of the disease, businesses are increasingly struggling with the economic impact of this crisis. While...more
A recent decision by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), Tobii AB (publ) v. Competition and Markets Authority, confirms a deferential standard for the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in its merger...more
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published “Guidance on the Functions of the CMA Under the Withdrawal Agreement” (Guidance), which sets out the regulator’s approach to merger and competition cases during...more
2/13/2020
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Cartels ,
Condition Precedent ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Exclusive Jurisdiction ,
Jurisdiction ,
Long Arm Statute ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
One-Stop Shop ,
Parallel Proceedings ,
Transitional Arrangements ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Withdrawal Agreement
Despite political and economic uncertainties, markets and deal activity were resilient in 2019, and strong fundamentals remain in place heading into 2020. Companies continue to face a challenging litigation and enforcement...more
1/30/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Appeals ,
Arbitration Awards ,
Attorney General ,
Backstop Agreements ,
BEPS ,
BitLicense ,
Blockchain ,
Board of Directors ,
Bonds ,
Capital Markets ,
CFIUS ,
CFTC ,
Chapter 11 ,
Claim Preclusion ,
Class Action ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Common Stock ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Congressional Subpoenas ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cooperation Agreement ,
Copyright ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Restructuring ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Corwin Doctrine ,
Covenant Lite Deals ,
Creditors ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
DACA ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Debt Financing ,
Debtors ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dischargeable Debts ,
Disgorgement ,
Disparate Impact ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Down Rounds ,
Drug Pricing ,
EBITDA ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement of Foreign Judgments ,
Enterprise Act 2002 ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Fair Housing Act (FHA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Issuers ,
FRCP 23 ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
General Elections ,
GILTI tax ,
High-Yield Markets ,
Hong Kong ,
Hong Kong Stock Exchange ,
Individual Accountability ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intercreditor Agreements ,
International Arbitration ,
International Litigation ,
IRS ,
Issue Preclusion ,
Japan ,
Joint Venture ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Life Sciences ,
Listing Rules ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Make-Whole Premium ,
Mergers ,
MFW ,
Multinationals ,
National Security ,
PCAOB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Political Parties ,
Preferred Shares ,
Private Offerings ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Proxy Advisory Firms ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Refinancing ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Separation of Powers ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholders ,
Split of Authority ,
State Labor Laws ,
Stock Drop Litigation ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Litigation ,
Technology Sector ,
Third-Party Release Agrements ,
Transparency ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Valuation ,
White Collar Crimes
Antitrust enforcers in the United States and European Union (EU) remained active in 2019, and recent developments at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general (AG) offices and EU...more
1/21/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Belgium ,
Big Data ,
Competition Authorities ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Germany ,
Interim Measures ,
Luxembourg ,
Member State ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Netherlands ,
Online Platforms ,
State Attorneys General ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
United States
In September, Georgetown University Law Center hosted its 13th Annual Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium and Fordham University School of Law hosted its 46th Annual International Antitrust Law and Policy Conference. Each...more
10/15/2019
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Ascertainable Class ,
Big Tech ,
Binding Arbitration ,
Class Action ,
Digital Currency ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRCP 23 ,
Innovative Technology ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
Public Policy ,
Unbundling
On April 4, 2019, the European Commission published a report1 prepared by three special advisers (the Advisers) appointed by EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager to explore how EU competition policy should evolve in...more
4/9/2019
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Acquisitions ,
Big Data ,
Competition ,
Data-Sharing ,
Digital Currency ,
Digital Goods ,
Digital Media ,
Digital Single Market ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Information Reports ,
Innovation ,
Innovative Technology ,
Mergers ,
Technology Sector ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Skadden’s Antitrust and Competition Group and the economics firm Charles River Associates recently co-hosted the ninth annual “Antitrust in the Technology Sector: Policy Perspectives and Insights From the Enforcers” seminar...more
3/5/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
AT&T ,
Bid Rigging ,
Cartels ,
Cloud Computing ,
Collusion ,
Competition ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Marketplace ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRAND ,
Innovation ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Monopolization ,
No-Poaching ,
Online Platforms ,
Qualcomm ,
Reputational Injury ,
Social Media ,
Technology Sector ,
Time Warner ,
Vertical Mergers
As the U.K.’s March 29, 2019, exit date from the European Union approaches, companies involved in merger reviews or antitrust investigations should pre-emptively address the risk of a “no-deal” Brexit....more
10/18/2018
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Injuries ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Condition Precedent ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Infringement ,
Jurisdiction ,
Merger Agreements ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Private Right of Action ,
Statute of Limitations ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On September 25, 2018, Georgetown University Law Center hosted the 12th Annual Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium. The event, which was co-sponsored by Skadden, featured keynote addresses from leaders of competition...more
10/9/2018
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Innovation ,
Mergers ,
Symposium ,
Technology Sector ,
Trump Administration
Global deal planning often overlooks merger control regimes in Southeast Asia. However, in recent months these regulators have become increasingly active and are enforcing failures to file relevant transactions for review....more
7/16/2018
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Asia ,
Competition Authorities ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Divestiture ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fines ,
Indonesia ,
Malaysia ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Monopolization ,
Philippines ,
Popular ,
Singapore ,
Uber ,
Vietnam
Skadden’s Antitrust and Competition Group and the economics firm Charles River Associates recently hosted the eighth annual “Antitrust in the Technology Sector: Policy Perspectives and Insights From the Enforcers” seminar in...more
3/8/2018
/ Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Big Data ,
Cartels ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fines ,
FRAND ,
Gun-Jumping ,
Innovation ,
Mergers ,
Monopolization ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Technology Sector
Despite a year of continued global political uncertainty and increasing enforcement, shareholder activism and foreign investment control activity, the 2018 outlook for Europe is positive overall. Skadden partners in the U.K.,...more
1/26/2018
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Corruption ,
Antitrust Injuries ,
BaFin ,
Capital Markets ,
Cartels ,
Competition ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cybersecurity ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
EU ,
EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU MAR) ,
European Commission ,
Executive Compensation ,
Foreign Investment ,
France ,
Fraud ,
Germany ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Minority Shareholders ,
Money Laundering ,
National Security ,
Private Equity ,
Russia ,
Sapin II ,
Securities ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Votes ,
Takeover Code ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
UK Bribery Act ,
UK Criminal Finances Act 2017 ,
Virtual Currency ,
White Collar Crimes
Antitrust merger enforcement historically has focused on horizontal mergers — consolidation of two firms that compete directly in the same space. This is especially true in the U.S., where antitrust authorities have...more
1/24/2018
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Violations ,
AT&T ,
Burden of Proof ,
Competition ,
Corporate Branding ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dow Chemical ,
DuPont ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Horizontal Mergers ,
Illegal Tying Arranegements ,
Innovation ,
IP License ,
Judicial Review ,
Life Sciences ,
LinkedIn ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Microsoft ,
Multinationals ,
Qualcomm ,
Research and Development ,
Sales & Distribution Agreements ,
Tech Industry ,
Time Warner ,
Trump Administration ,
Vertical Mergers
Three years ago, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) introduced a simplified merger review procedure to reduce the review time for transactions that do not pose significant competitive or industrial policy concerns in...more
The question of how "big data" should be treated in merger control and antitrust enforcement was a key issue for the European Commission and national regulators in European Union member states in 2016, with competition...more
2/1/2017
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Big Data ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Data Protection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
EU Data Protection Laws ,
European Commission ,
Facebook ,
Federal Cartel Offices ,
France ,
French Competition Authority ,
Germany ,
Mergers ,
Privacy Concerns ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On October 21, 2016, Skadden presented a seminar titled “Antitrust Law and Policies From Brussels to Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Divide?” in Brussels. Former DG Competition Director General Sir Philip Lowe gave the keynote...more
12/19/2016
/ Brussels Regulation ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Free Movement ,
Geo-Blocking ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On May 10, 2016, the French Competition Authority and German Federal Cartel Office published “Competition Law and Data,” a joint report on big data and its implications for competition law. The paper identifies issues that...more
5/19/2016
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Big Data ,
Competition Authorities ,
EU ,
Exclusivity Clauses ,
Federal Cartel Office (the FCO) ,
French Competition Authority ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Tying ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
In late 2011 and early 2012, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) introduced a new and unique merger control remedy with far-reaching implications. In two separate decisions involving nearly simultaneous global acquisitions...more
10/28/2015
/ Acquisitions ,
China ,
Global Market ,
Hitachi ,
Hold-Separate Remedies ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
MOFCOM ,
Remedies ,
Samsung ,
Seagate ,
Technology Sector
China’s Anti-Monopoly Law requires businesses to notify transactions to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) for merger control review, so long as the parties meet certain revenue thresholds and the transaction involves a change...more
On June 17, 2014, the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued just the second prohibition decision in its enforcement history, striking down the proposed P3 Network shipping alliance that would...more
The European Commission (Commission) has adopted important revisions to its merger control procedures under what it characterizes as a Merger Simplification Package that will enter into force on January 1, 2014. The new rules...more