Corporate Concentration, Mergers, And Antitrust Enforcement In The Current Political Climate

Grant E Schnell is an Associate in our Atlanta office.

Attacking the vigor and effectiveness of antitrust enforcement has become increasingly popular political subject. Just last week, Senator Cory Booker released a letter to the FTC and DOJ urging them to consider the interests of workers as they evaluate the potential anticompetitive effects of a merger. In the letter, Booker warned about growth of employer "monopsony" power—in which one or more employers become such dominant players in a region or sector that they have the power to limit worker mobility and depress wages. In addition, Senator Amy Klobuchar recently introduced legislation designed to make it easier for the antitrust agencies to challenge mergers as anticompetitive. Senator Klobuchar has also proposed legislation that would require companies to pay higher fees when filing for antitrust review. And Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised significant concerns about increasing concentration in many