FTC Finalizes 2020 Thresholds For Merger Filings

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has significantly escalated its antitrust investigation into Nvidia Corp., the world's leading AI chipmaker, by issuing subpoenas not only to Nvidia but also to third-party companies.

Major antitrust developments from August 2026 span multiple jurisdictions, including U.S. court rulings on oil price-fixing and printer cartridge restrictions, FTC quantum computing merger reviews...

The General Court of the European Union has upheld the European Commission's prohibition of Booking Holdings' acquisition of eTraveli Group, endorsing for the first time a 'reverse leveraging' theory of harm in conglomerate mergers. This landmark judgment establishes that dominant companies can be blocked from acquiring complementary businesses even when the target operates in a market where the acquirer lacks dominance, fundamentally reshaping merger control enforcement in digital and ecosystem-driven mark

On August 7, 2026, the Delaware Court of Chancery ordered Verisk Analytics, Inc. to move forward with its purportedly terminated $2.35 billion proposed acquisition of AccuLynx.com.

Prior to the 2010 merger, Live Nation Entertainment was the largest producer, marketer, and seller of live concerts globally, controlling more than 75 concert venues in the United States...

The Department of Justice announced a landmark $250 million settlement with KKR & Co. for allegedly submitting deficient Hart-Scott-Rodino Act notification forms across at least 16 transactions. This unprecedented penalty, the largest ever for HSR violations, raises critical questions about merger notification compliance obligations and the consequences of systemic noncompliance with federal antitrust review requirements.

The Justice Department has resumed targeted Second Request investigations to expedite merger reviews, while major entertainment industry consolidation faces legal challenges and the FTC secures record penalties for Hart-Scott-Rodino Act violations. These developments signal a shifting landscape in federal merger enforcement, balancing efficiency with rigorous antitrust scrutiny across multiple industries.

On December 22, 2025, the FTC reopened and set aside the FTC's 2024 consent order against the AI company Rytr LLC.

The U.S. Department of Justice recently closed its investigation into a merger between two leading sales enablement software providers, citing AI competition as a key protective factor against potential competitive harm. This decision offers important insights into how antitrust agencies are evaluating AI-native companies as competitive constraints and implementing more efficient, targeted merger review processes in technology sector transactions.

The September 2, 2025 decision in United States et al. v. Google marks a pivotal moment in U.S. antitrust enforcement against domineering technology companies.

FinCEN notified U.S. financial institutions that the Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") updated the list of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in combating anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism ("AML/CFT").

The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced a revised 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program for drugs subject to Medicare's Maximum Fair Price, expanding eligibility to manufacturers with selected drugs for 2026 and 2027. The program introduces new data requirements, dispute resolution mechanisms, and stricter compliance monitoring while addressing stakeholder concerns about administrative burden and program integrity.

Landlords of rent stabilized buildings in New York City have filed a lawsuit challenging the rent freeze passed by the Rent Guidelines Board, questioning the Board's independence and data integrity. With operating costs rising 31% over five years while the Board voted 7-1 for a freeze affecting 1 million apartments, the case raises critical questions about the balance between tenant protection and landlord viability.

The Surface Transportation Board has lifted its abeyance and established a procedural roadmap for the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger proceeding, marking the official start...

The Treasury Department and IRS have proposed new regulations that would establish an explicit racial nondiscrimination requirement for private schools seeking federal tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3). These proposed rules go beyond existing law by prohibiting all forms of racial discrimination in education regardless of intent, legality, or purpose, potentially affecting admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other school-administered initiatives.

On February 25, 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC") issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the "NPRM") to implement the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (the "GENIUS Act").

This September 2026 edition of Quorum examines critical developments in corporate governance, M&A transactions, and securities regulation, including Delaware Court decisions on strategic investor rights and control group standards, new SEC guidance on beneficial ownership reporting, and Supreme Court rulings on disgorgement remedies. The newsletter also analyzes FTC perspectives on vertical mergers in defense sectors and provides comprehensive updates on the SEC's 2026 regulatory agenda under Chairman Atkin

The SEC has issued a groundbreaking Innovation Exemption order that creates a five-year regulatory framework for trading tokenized versions of major U.S. exchange-listed stocks. This temporary relief exempts certain digital asset venues and liquidity providers from traditional securities regulations, establishing permissioned environments for on-chain secondary markets while maintaining investor protections.

California's Air Resources Board has released comprehensive guidance for entities preparing their first greenhouse gas emissions reports under SB 253, introducing a voluntary reporting platform and clarifying expectations for the November 2026 deadline. The guidance addresses critical questions about data collection requirements, assurance standards, and enforcement discretion for companies that weren't tracking emissions as of December 2024. Understanding these reporting parameters and submission options w

The Federal Trade Commission closed its investigation of IonQ's acquisition of SkyWater Technology after the Commission's two sitting members divided over whether the transaction warranted a negotiated behavioral consent order. These detailed statements reveal how each Commissioner analyzes vertical transactions and their claimed benefits, offering critical insights for parties planning vertical transactions in defense and national-security sectors.