The European Commission has launched a public consultation of its Horizontal and Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines. Framed as a "comprehensive and ambitious" review, the Commission is exploring how to incorporate wider policy...more
5/27/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Consultation ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Innovation ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sustainability
The UK’s Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) is taking significant steps to evolve its approach to merger control, introducing a new Mergers Charter and launching a review of its merger remedies framework. These initiatives...more
Our latest edition explores the top merger control trends across the EU, US, UK, Middle East and Australia, and the outlook for 2025.
EU and US merger control enforcement: quo vadis?
In the EU, Executive Vice...more
1/20/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Global Dealmaking ,
Member State ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Technology Sector ,
UK
After years of planning and debate, the UK's Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Act will come into force on 1 January 2025. This landmark legislation provides expanded powers to the CMA in respect of merger control,...more
In yet another twist in the Illumina/Grail saga, Advocate General Emiliou has challenged the European Commission's approach to calling-in certain non-reportable transactions for review. The final judgment will be delivered by...more
The long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill has been published. Touted as a Bill to "stamp out unfair practices and promote competition in digital markets", the DMCC seeks to enhance consumer protection...more
There have been a number of developments in merger control in 2020 and Q1 2021. Some are related to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, while others are borne out of the ambitions and changes sought by individual...more
In November 2020, the UK published a draft of its new National Security and Investment Bill ("NSIB"), heralding the introduction of a new regime for reviewing investments on national security grounds. The Bill introduced a...more
3/9/2021
/ BEIS ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Energy Sector ,
Foreign Investment ,
Maritime Transport ,
Merger Controls ,
National Security ,
Public Communications ,
Public Contracts ,
Supply Chain ,
UK
The UK has published a draft of its new National Security and Investment Bill, together with explanatory notes, heralding the introduction of a new regime for reviewing investments in the UK. The new regime would introduce,...more
The UK has outlined the details of its new National Security and Investment Bill, heralding the introduction of a new regime for foreign direct investments in the UK. The new regime would introduce, for the first time, a...more
The UK government has tabled changes to the Enterprise Act 2002 to expand the circumstances in which the government will be empowered to review foreign takeovers of UK companies. The new rules will allow the government to...more
6/23/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enterprise Act 2002 ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Goods or Services ,
Merger Controls ,
National Security ,
Public Health Emergency ,
UK
On 17 June 2020, the European Commission published a White Paper seeking views on three powerful new tools to control the acquisitions and activities of foreign subsidised companies in the EU:1 (i) a general ex post control...more
6/19/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Subsidiaries ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Public Consultations ,
Screening Procedures ,
WTO
Four years after the European Commission (“EC”) thwarted Hutchison’s attempt to consolidate the UK mobile telecoms market through its planned acquisition of O2, the General Court yesterday dealt a crushing blow to the...more
The CMA has published new guidance on its approach to merger assessments during the Coronavirus pandemic, confirming that it does not intend to change either merger control assessments or deadlines, despite the outbreak....more
Antitrust agencies around the world are adjusting to the policies and procedures they quickly implemented in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”), as detailed in White & Case’s March 16th alert. In...more
3/27/2020
/ Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Global Market ,
Merger Controls ,
Office Closures ,
Remote Working ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
United States
As the UK departs the European Union, the CMA – the UK competition regulator – is facing a transformation in its mandate. White & Case considers how the CMA will approach its workload during and after the Transition Period...more
2/1/2020
/ Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Cartels ,
Competition Authorities ,
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ,
EU ,
EUMR ,
European Commission ,
Expiration Date ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Parallel Proceedings ,
Transitional Arrangements ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Withdrawal Agreement
CMA investigation into Amazon/Deliveroo and Paypal/iZettle deals highlights the regulator's increased interest in technology transactions....more
7/15/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Amazon ,
Digital Markets Strategy ,
Initial Enforcement Order (IEO) ,
Killer Acquisitions ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
PayPal ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
UK Regulatory Reforms
Competition authorities around the world typically place considerable weight on parties' internal documents when assessing the potential effects of a merger. Such documents, many of which can pre-date the companies' decision...more