Australia will soon shift to a mandatory and suspensory merger control regime, with the transition commencing mid-2025. We provide below our key takeaways and observations on the bill which now has the support of both major...more
Enforcement strengthens with more complexity -
Globally, antitrust enforcement in 2024 is on track to repeat the themes of 2023. Expect continued use by the agencies of novel theories of antitrust harm and increasing...more
3/1/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
China ,
Competition Authorities ,
DCMA ,
Global Dealmaking ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Technology Sector ,
Threshold Requirements ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Traditionally, private equity firms were seen as benign investors from an antitrust perspective. This is changing. In the past 12 months, PE-funded acquisitions have faced progressively more rigorous scrutiny by antitrust...more
2/28/2024
/ Antitrust Division ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Merger Controls ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Firms ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Global deal value and volume fell again in 2023, down 33% and 18% respectively compared to 2022. This is unsurprising, given persistently tough macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical tensions. Dealmakers are also facing an...more
2/28/2024
/ Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Australia ,
Competition Authorities ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Merger Controls ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The Australian Treasury has released a paper to begin consultation on potential merger control reform. If implemented, the proposed reforms would transform Australia’s voluntary, non-suspensory merger control system – with...more
For a number of years the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has advocated for amendments to the country’s merger control rules. The current regime is voluntary, and the ACCC cannot itself prohibit a...more