Antitrust Merger Enforcement: Trends and Developments to Watch Out For in 2021

Jacqueline Grise is chair of Cooley's antitrust and competition practice group. Her practice focuses on the defense of corporate clients in connection with domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, as well as antitrust counseling and other non-merger matters. She regularly represents clients before the FTC, the DOJ and numerous foreign antitrust enforcement agencies. Jackie has extensive experience counseling clients through the HSR merger review process, including advocating before the agencies, responding to second requests and coordinating antitrust defense strategies in countries around the world. Her clients span a broad range of industries, including disruptive technologies that are transforming traditional markets, software, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, online subscription consumer products, computer and data storage, media, industrial equipment, retail and aerospace.

Brian Concklin is a Counsel in Clifford Chance's U.S. Antitrust practice. He advises clients on the formation and clearance of major merger matters, with particular focus on compliance with the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Brian also advises on government investigations, the implementation of antitrust compliance and best practices. Brian has represented clients before both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, including responding to Second Requests, both formal and informal inquiries, and when necessary, negotiating remedies for transactions to obtain clearance. 

Allen Bachman is a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. His practice spans the field of competition law, including U.S. and international merger clearance, complex antitrust litigation, and federal and state government investigations.

Allen is a key member of the firm’s international merger clearance practice, managing matters that require coordination of complex competition filings across multiple jurisdictions and representing clients in highly contested substantive reviews before the U.S. antitrust agencies.

Allen is typically on the phone or in meetings every week with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division or Federal Trade Commission on behalf of K&L Gates’ clients. He has also appeared as lead counsel before competition authorities outside the United States including China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the Canadian Competition Bureau, Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission, and the Romanian Competition Council.

Allen is also an antitrust litigator, having appeared as lead antitrust counsel for clients in federal courts throughout the United States. He is among a handful of attorneys that have litigated merger clearance decisions in federal court having successfully represented Arch Coal in the landmark FTC v Arch Coal decision.