Election 2024: Antitrust Merger Enforcement In The US

In Depth

How would a Harris-Walz administration affect clients in your practice?

Bottom line: On the antitrust merger enforcement front overall, we would expect an approach that is relatively close to the Biden positions but moderated at the margins, and potentially a more pragmatic approach to how problematic issues are resolved.

Added context: Harris-Walz might be less aggressive on antitrust than Biden, given Harris's California ties to Silicon Valley and the tech business. Press reports indicate that some donors are strongly opposed to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Khan continuing in that role. Some have also argued that a President Harris would be less indebted or tied to the most strongly progressive elements in the Democratic Party, and she could face a Republican Senate. Collectively, that could mean that key Department of Justice (DOJ)/FTC appointees would be less progressive than current agency leadership.