News & Events

Antitrust Partner Karen Kazmerzak was quoted in an article titled, “Dealmakers Prep for New Merger Guidelines Era,” which was published by The Deal. The article discussed the FTC and DOJ’s finalized new merger guidelines, highlighting important takeaways and addressing how they largely reflect the current administration’s antitrust enforcement agenda. When discussing the new guidelines, Karen explained that, “It’s helpful to see what the agencies are thinking. The transparency is good. But I’m not ultimately sure how much it changes in terms of the advice that attorneys are providing their clients,” as they are indicative of where the agencies have already been. She further noted that the current administration has reinvigorated their analysis of non-horizontal competition issues, which makes reaching settlements more difficult. Looking ahead, Karen said, “It remains to be seen whether the courts actually give deference to the agencies’ interpretation of the antitrust laws.”

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