Annual Increase in Hart-Scott-Rodino Thresholds

The Federal Trade Commission announced on January 13, 2006 revised thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. §18a) ("the HSR Act"). The new thresholds will become effective on February 17, 2006 for transactions that close on or after that date. The threshold adjustments are mandated by the major HSR amendments in 2000, which substantially increased the HSR thresholds. The 2000 HSR amendments require annual indexing of the thresholds based on changes in gross national product for each fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2004. Accordingly, the HSR thresholds are now adjusted on an annual basis.