Hart-Scott-Rodino Reporting Thresholds To Increase, Clayton Act Section 8 Interlocking Directorates Thresholds Increased

The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") recently announced that the reporting thresholds under Section 7 of the Clayton Act, known as the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the "Act"), will be increased.  The Act requires all parties to certain transactions, including mergers and acquisitions that meet or exceed the Act's jurisdictional thresholds, to notify the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice of their intentions and to wait a designated period of time before consummating those transactions.  The 2000 amendments to the Act require the FTC to revise the Act's jurisdictional and filing fee thresholds annually, based on the change in gross national product.  Certain related thresholds and limitation values in the Hart-Scott-Rodino ("H-S-R") rules will also be adjusted.  The increased thresholds will apply to all transactions that close on or after February 27, 2012.