Squawk Pod An FDA Resignation & An M&A Outlook with Makan Delrahim 3/31/25
Mar 31, 2025
Makan Delrahim, former antitrust assistant attorney general, shares insights on the future of mergers and acquisitions under Trump's administration, emphasizing the cautious strategies businesses are adopting amid regulatory scrutiny. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, discusses the resignation of the FDA's top vaccine official amid rising anti-vaccine sentiments and the U.S. measles outbreak. They highlight the urgent need to restore public trust in health systems and examine the complex interplay between politics and market dynamics.
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Consolidating Antitrust Agencies
- Delrahim suggests moving the FTC's antitrust functions to the DOJ for efficiency.
- He believes consolidating antitrust agencies would create synergies, similar to mergers.
Law Firms and Political Alignment
- Some law firms seemingly acted as subsidiaries of the DNC, neglecting conservative causes.
- Latham and Watkins, Delrahim's firm, did work for both, according to him.
Client Concerns about Law Firms
- Clients question the willingness of firms like Paul Weiss and Skadden to fight the Trump administration.
- They settled, raising concerns about their ability to take on difficult cases against the government.