Dealcast Global Merger Control Developments 25 April 2018

This week’s Dealcast examines global changes in merger control.

In Europe, Competition Commissioner Vestager is nearing the end of her term in office. Remedies in the recent approval of the Bayer /Monsanto deal highlight the EC’s focus on innovation. A CFIUS-style framework to scrutinise foreign investment is also on the horizon.

In China, a newly established agency took over the merger control functions of existing agencies on 20 April. But will the State Administration for Market Regulation or SAMR review deals any differently to predecessor MOFCOM?

In the US, the DoJ’s trial against AT&T/Time Warner is the first vertical merger challenged for 40 years and could have sweeping implications going forward. The FTC is on the cusp of having only one commissioner, whilst CFIUS – following the blocking of Broadcom’s attempt to acquire Qualcomm – is set to have its powers expanded.

With Julie-Anna Needham, Francesca Micheletti, Joseph Tipograph and Qianwen Lu