What To Expect In 2020 Merger Enforcement: Trends And Developments From 2019

The authorities have already signaled that aggressive antitrust enforcement is likely to continue in 2020, with a number of challenges already within the first few weeks of the new year. In the face of public questioning of whether there has been sufficient enforcement in technology transactions involving nascent competitors, FTC announced an industry-wide study under the FTC's study authority into the acquisition strategies of some of the largest technology companies. In this enforcement climate, it is even more critical to understand enforcement priorities and key issues being considered by the antitrust authorities in order to position a transaction for the best possible chance at success. This past year in antitrust merger enforcement offers a number of key insights: