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ARTICLE · 28 SEPTEMBER 2009

Antitrust Alert: DOJ/FTC To Review U.S. Horizontal Merger Guidelines

Jones Day
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Today the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission announced that they would seek public comment and hold joint public workshops to explore possible updates to the Horizontal Merger Guidelines, which outline the antitrust agencies' merger enforcement policies.

United StatesAntitrust/Competition Law
Kathryn Fenton
Kathryn Fenton
J. Bruce McDonald
J. Bruce McDonald
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Today the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission announced that they would seek public comment and hold joint public workshops to explore possible updates to the Horizontal Merger Guidelines, which outline the antitrust agencies' merger enforcement policies. The Guidelines, which were last significantly revised in 1992, play a critical role in shaping analysis and outcomes in merger decision both at the agencies and in the courts. A review of the Guidelines was anticipated, particularly given the Obama's administration's stated goal of adopting a more aggressive approach to antitrust enforcement, including merger reviews.

In announcing the project, Assistant Attorney General Christine A. Varney stated:

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