The next session in our Global Antitrust Update webinar series is soon approaching. Our international team will unpack the latest enforcement trends and policy shifts shaping competition law across key jurisdictions. We’ll...more
Fines for breach of procedural merger control rules surged in 2025. Once again, the U.S. led the charge, imposing record penalties. In China, geopolitical factors played a role in some infringement investigations. Overall,...more
On January 14, 2026, SAMR announced that it has filed an investigation against Ctrip Group on suspicion of engaging in monopolistic conduct by abusing its dominant market position....more
On October 10, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced it has opened an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm Inc.’s recent acquisition of Autotalks. The U.S. chip giant is suspected of...more
Breaking a ten-month silence, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) of China announced on 15 September 2025, that it had decided to proceed with a further investigation into NVIDIA. This decision marks the...more
On July 2, 2025, the EU’s court of first instance, the General Court (GC), clarified the conditions under which below-threshold mergers may be referred to the European Commission (EC) under Article 22 of the EU Merger...more
This monthly report outlines key developments in China’s antitrust sector for August. The following events merit special attention: SAMR Suspends Antitrust Investigation into DuPont China: In April 2025, SAMR publicly...more
UK CMA Proposes End to Information Exchange Case Against Housebuilders - On 9 July 2025, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally accepted commitments to close a UK competition law investigation into...more
Cases involving premerger enforcements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act are relatively rare. So far in 2025, however, we have seen two such cases involving potentially record-breaking penalties. The timing is notable, as...more
This article is part of a monthly column that considers the significance of recent Federal Trade Commission announcements about antitrust issues. In this installment, we discuss notable takeaways from the agency's recent...more
During antitrust review between M&A signing and closing, HSR rules restrict an acquiror from beginning to control the target's business....more
In the days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration, the Biden FTC rushed to initiate major lawsuits and to tie a bow on various antitrust policy efforts. In a series of dissenting statements, the minority Republican...more
One of the most common questions clients have after a merger or acquisition has been signed is, “When can we start on combining the operations and doing business?” And one of the most challenging pieces of counseling is to...more
On January 7, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a proposed settlement for crude oil producers XCL Resource Holdings, LLC; Verdun Oil Company; and EP Energy LLC to pay a record-breaking $5.6 million civil...more
On January 7, 2025, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced a record USD5.68m civil penalty to settle alleged pre-merger coordination in violation of the HSR Act. This settlement is the largest dollar penalty that has...more
The initial days of 2025 ushered in a trifecta of significant antitrust updates for dealmakers. First, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced its annual adjustment to the monetary thresholds that apply to...more
On January 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against three Texas-based crude oil companies—XCL Resources Holdings, LLC (XCL), Verdun Oil Company II, LLC (Verdun), and EP Energy LLC (EP)—alleging...more
Three crude oil producers have agreed to pay civil penalties totaling $5.7 million to settle allegations that they engaged in “gun jumping,” namely, allowing the acquirer to exercise control over the target’s business conduct...more
M&A practitioners have long regarded the integration planning and execution process as one of the keys to a successful M&A transaction. However, in deals subject to pre-merger antitrust clearance, it is critical to navigate...more
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) sent a firm message—unlawful coordination of merging businesses prior to the closing under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements (“HSR”) Act will be aggressively enforced. On...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced, on January 7, 2025, that crude oil producers agreed to pay a record $5.6 million fine as settlement for violating the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR Act) through illegal pre-merger...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
Crude oil producers XCL Resources Holdings, LLC (XCL), Verdun Oil Company II LLC (Verdun), and EP Energy LLC (EP) have agreed to pay a $5.6 million civil penalty to settle violations under Section 7A of the Clayton Act, as...more
On January, 7, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that crude oil producers XCL Resources Holdings, LLC (XCL), Verdun Oil Company II LLC (Verdun) and EP Energy LLC (EP) collectively will pay a $5.68 million...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has imposed a record-breaking $5.6 million fine on XCL Resource Holdings, LLC (XCL), Verdun Oil Company II LLC (Verdun), and EP Energy LLC (EP) to settle allegations that they engaged in...more