Final HSR Rule Announced: New Requirements And Elevated Compliance Standards For Merger Filings

The final Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR) rule is finally here. Delayed long beyond most predictions (including ours), the final rule pulls back on some of the most onerous provision of the proposed rule, but still marks a substantial increase in burden, risk, and cost for any US premerger filing. Here, we provide a summary of the final HSR rule's provisions, comparing them to the existing rule.

For a more in-depth look, Steptoe has developed a series of recommendations for steps that companies can take today to reduce the burden and risk when making an HSR filing under the new rules – preparation now can make a big difference when it is time to file. If interested in learning more about these recommendations, please contact Lee Berger or John Kavanagh.