The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has signaled a renewed focus on antitrust enforcement in mergers and acquisitions, and at a time when M&A activity is at an all-time high.
In recent speeches, two senior officials with the Justice Department pledged that, together with the Federal Trade Commission, the agencies continue to thoroughly review M&A activity and vigorously act against anticompetitive behavior, particularly as it concerns deals among substantial competitors. “The Antitrust Division has embraced its role as the cop on the merger beat,” William Baer, acting associate attorney general for the Antitrust Division, said in remarks at the American Antitrust Institute’s annual conference on June 16.
