Merger Clearance and Compliance

Our Antitrust & Competition team helps clients solve problems on the full range of issues related to competition law, including complicated merger clearance matters. We offer a well-rounded perspective and our team members, based in Washington, D.C., New York, and Europe, work seamlessly across offices to help clients with multi-jurisdictional issues.

Our group regularly assists companies in evaluating antitrust concerns that arise in the regular course of business or when evaluating potential mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions with competitive implications. We advise and represent clients contemplating such transactions, including by handling premerger notification filings with the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and by working with both agencies to resolve potential antitrust issues that arise.

We regularly draft, implement, and advise on antitrust compliance and training programs and advise clients with respect to the potential impact of proposed antitrust legislation and regulations. We also regularly counsel clients on antitrust compliance matters for companies across a variety of industries, including matters relating to pricing, marketing and distribution, competitive issues arising out of relationships with suppliers, resale price maintenance, and competitor collaborations.

Our group also conducts internal investigations as part of our compliance counseling, when appropriate.

Several of our partners have served in leadership roles within the ABA Antitrust Section for years, and our senior attorneys regularly lecture and write on issues of interest to the antitrust community.

Key Contacts

All Attorneys

Representative Matters

Select matters handled by our attorneys include:

  • Represent an energy company regarding purchasing joint venture with a potential competitor.
  • Represent a professional services company with regard to benchmarking its compliance program.
  • Represented a manufacturer in connection with a potential joint venture with a competitor.
  • Represented a regional drugstore chain in FTC investigation of acquisition by a national competitor.
  • Represented a paper and packaging manufacturer in a DOJ investigation of a joint venture with a competitor.
  • Represented a manufacturer of overhead doors in acquisition by a competitor.
  • Represented a mid-size technology company regarding competitive aspects of its negotiations with a leading internet services provider.
On June 27, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it is proposing changes to its premerger filing requirements under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The proposed changes, which would increase the volume of information required from parties submitting an initial HSR filing, have generated a range of reactions regarding their likely impact. In this client alert, Ronald F. Wick, Melissa Maxman, John Roberti, and Alisa Lu examine the FTC’s proposal and its potential effect on the premerger review process.