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ARTICLE · 20 JULY 2026

U.S. Enforcement Trends: 2025 Retrospective

A&O Shearman
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The U.S. enforcement landscape is undergoing a recalibration as political realignment, personnel cuts, and a heightened focus on geopolitics reshape how and when the U.S. deploys its regulatory enforcement authority. Agencies are pulling back from broad enforcement to focus on core mandates, with antitrust fines falling sharply and the SEC signaling decreased enforcement volume. National security and competition with China increasingly drive enforcement priorities, while FCPA enforcement has been sharply cu

United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Noah Brumfield
Noah Brumfield
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The U.S. enforcement landscape is undergoing a recalibration. Political realignment, personnel cuts, and a heightened focus on geopolitics are reshaping how and when the U.S. deploys its regulatory enforcement authority.

More selective enforcement

The Trump Administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative last year drove a significant reduction in prosecutors, agents, and enforcement attorneys at all levels of seniority across the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and other federal agencies. We are seeing the impact on enforcement. The result has been a clear slowdown, with enforcement becoming more selective and aligned with the administration’s political priorities.

In 2025, agencies pulled back from broad enforcement to focus on what agency leaders consider their core mandates. Antitrust fines fell sharply, and merging companies saw fewer regulatory roadblocks. The SEC signaled a decreased enforcement volume tailored to priority areas such as insider trading and

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