By Wendy Arends, Mark Tobey & Kelsey Toledo, for HuschBlackwell:
The draft Merger Guidelines were published on July 19, 2023, by the Agencies just weeks after the FTC issued newly proposed rules under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR). The Merger Guidelines represent a significant departure from the 2010 Horizontal and Vertical Merger Guidelines, and the proposed HSR rules represent the first time the HSR process has been substantively updated in over 40 years.If implemented in their current form, both will have the effect of making the merger review process lengthier, more complicated, and more burdensome for virtually all companies, including those operating in the healthcare industry. The Agencies are seeking comments on the Merger Guidelines through September 18, 2023, and the FTC is currently accepting comments on the Proposed HSR Rules, extending the comment period until September 27, 2023.