Dealcast: latest developments in global merger control

Dealcast is a fortnightly podcast from the Dealreporter team covering M&A, ECM and activism.

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

In Europe, Competition Commissioner Margrethe  Vestager is nearing the end of her term in office. Remedies in the recent approval of the Bayer [ETR:BAYN]/ Monsanto [NYSE:MON] deal highlight the EC’s focus on innovation. A CFIUS-style framework to scrutinise foreign investment is 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 (SAMR) review deals any differently to predecessor MOFCOM?

In the US, the DoJ’s trial against AT&T [NYSE:T]/Time Warner [NYSE:TWX] 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, while CFIUS – following the blocking of Broadcom’s [NYSE:AVGO] attempt to acquire Qualcomm [NASDAQ:QCOM] – is set to have its powers expanded.

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

Click here to listen to the podcast.