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ARTICLE · 07 MAY 2026

Trends And Enforcement Priorities At The 2026 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting

Mayer Brown
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Federal antitrust agencies face unprecedented staffing reductions of 25-30% since January 2025, fundamentally reshaping enforcement dynamics as state attorneys general step into expanded roles with new premerger...

United StatesAntitrust/Competition Law
Rachel J. Lamorte
Rachel J. Lamorte
Megan E. Stride
Megan E. Stride
Catherine Medvene
Catherine Medvene
Cloe M. Anderson
Cloe M. Anderson
Timothy B. Leake
Timothy B. Leake
Lauren E. Knudson
Lauren E. Knudson
Katherine F. Aragon
Katherine F. Aragon
Preston Michelson
Preston Michelson
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Antitrust and competition lawyers, economists, and enforcers from around the globe gathered in Washington DC in late March for the American Bar Association (ABA) Antitrust Section’s Spring Meeting to discuss key trends and enforcement priorities in antitrust law. In short:

  • Staff reductions at the DOJ and FTC are likely impacting federal antitrust enforcement decisions;
  • State enforcers are increasingly enforcing antitrust laws independent of federal action; and
  • The global focus on big-tech and digital markets has not slowed down.

Enforcer Resource Constraints Likely to Impact Enforcement

The two US federal antitrust enforcers—the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ)—have experienced a significant reduction in staffing, with one speaker estimating agency headcount has fallen by 25–30% since January 2025. Speakers described how changes to federal hiring practices and the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency have made it

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