FTC Tag Archives — Page 5 of 6 — Antitrust Lawyer Blog

August 26, 2016

FTC Approves Updates to Hart Scott Rodino Rules

On August 26, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) approved final amendments to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification Rules that allow HSR filings to be submitted on DVD and streamline the instructions to the Premerger Notification Form. These updates will make the process of submitting HSR filings easier, more efficient and less burdensome.

The HSR Act gives the federal government the opportunity to investigate and challenge mergers that are likely to harm consumers before injury occurs. The HSR Act requires that the parties to certain proposed transactions submit HSR filings to the FTC and Department of Justice. These filings comprise of an HSR Form, which contains information about each company’s business, and relevant business documents regarding competition.

Currently, all HSR filings are submitted in paper form. By allowing HSR filings to be submitted on DVD, the amendments eliminate the expensive and time-consuming printing and duplication of electronically maintained documents that are submitted to the antitrust agencies.

August 25, 2016

FTC Approves ON’s Acquisition of Fairchild With Structural and Behavioral Conditions

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On August 25, 2016, the FTC announced that ON Semiconductor Corporation (“ON”) agreed to sell its Ignition Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (“IGBT”) business in order to settle FTC allegations that its proposed $2.4 billion acquisition of Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. (“Fairchild”) is anticompetitive.

According to the complaint, the merged company would have a combined share of over 60% in the worldwide market for IGBTs specifically designed and calibrated for automotive ignition systems, or Ignition IGBTs. Without a divestiture, it is likely that the proposed merger would substantially lessen competition in the worldwide market for Ignition IGBTs, resulting in higher prices and reduced innovation. Ignition IGBTs are semiconductors that function as solid-state electronic switches in the ignition systems of automotive internal combustion engines. They have to meet the demanding performance requirements and harsh environment of an automotive ignition system.

ON and Fairchild both develop, manufacture, and market a wide range of semiconductors. They are each other’s closest competitors for Ignition IGBTs sold to automotive suppliers, who then incorporate Ignition IGBTs into the ignition systems that they sell to automakers. The proposed consent order preserves competition by requiring ON to divest its Ignition IGBT business to Littelfuse, Inc. (“Littelfuse”) within ten days of the close of the transaction. Littelfuse is buying the product portfolio of transient voltage suppression diodes, switching thyristors, and insulated gate bipolar transistors for automotive ignition applications for $104 million. The divestiture will include design files and intellectual property that Littelfuse needs to manufacture ON’s Ignition IGBTs. ON must also facilitate the transfer of its customer relationships to Littelfuse, and supply Ignition IGBTs for Littlefuse to sell to customers while Littelfuse sets up its manufacturing operations. Littelfuse will spend about $30 million at its semiconductor manufacturing facilities to upgrade production capabilities and add significant capacity to its China fabrication facility as the result of the purchase and production transfer.

August 23, 2016

Senator Grassley Calls For Hearings on Consolidation of Seed and Ag Chemical Industry

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On August 23, 2016, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced a hearing on the increasing consolidation within the seed and chemical industry.

The hearing will be held in late September. Senator Grassley said that “The seed and chemical industries are critical to agriculture and the nation’s economy, and Iowans are concerned that this sudden consolidation in the industry could cause rising input costs in an already declining agriculture economy.” The hearing will focus on the transactions currently being reviewed by antitrust regulators, and the current trend in consolidation of the seed and chemical industries.

While details have not been finalized, views from the companies under review by antitrust regulators, consumers and antitrust experts will all be represented at the hearing. “In most instances when you have less competition, prices go up, and consumers pay more,” he said in an interview.

August 16, 2016

Senator Grassley Urging the FTC and DOJ to Coordinate Reviews of Seed Mergers

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On August 16, 2016, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and DOJ Antitrust Division Head, Renata Hesse in which he expressed concerns regarding two major mergers in agricultural technology and seeds that could potentially hurt competition in the industry and make it harder for smaller companies to compete.

The senator urged the FTC, which is reviewing the purchase of Syngenta AG (“Syngenta”) by the China National Chemical Corporation (“ChemChina”), and the DOJ, which is analyzing the merger of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (“DuPont”), to coordinate their reviews. Senator Grassley wrote that “it is important that these transactions not be reviewed in isolation.” He urged the DOJ and FTC to collaborate and to gain input from the Department of Agriculture as part of their analysis of the agricultural biotechnology and seed industry and the competitive impact of these deals.

Senator Grassley also expressed concern that “the convergence of these proposed transactions – as well as others currently being discussed – will have an enhanced adverse impact on competition in the industry and raise barriers to entry for smaller companies”; “further concentration in the industry will impact the price and choice of chemicals and seed for farmers, which ultimately will impact choice and costs for consumers”; and “further consolidation will diminish critical research and development initiatives.”

July 29, 2016

FTC Approves Generic Pharmaceutical Mergers With Divestitures

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On July 27, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) cleared to generic pharmaceutical deals.

Mylan/Meda Deal

Mylan, N.V. agreed to divest the rights and assets related to two generic products to settle allegations that its proposed $7.2 billion acquisition of Meda AB would be anticompetitive. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Alvogen Pharma US, Inc. will acquire the rights and assets related to 400 mg and 600 mg felbamate tablets (used to treat refractory epilepsy) from Mylan, and Mylan must also relinquish its U.S. marketing rights for 250 mg carisoprodol tablets (used to treat muscle spasms and stiffness) to allow Indicus Pharma LLC to compete in the U.S. market. See FTC Press Release.

May 13, 2016

No Upfront Buyer Required in Air Liquide/Airgas Approval

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On May 13, 2016, the FTC approved a merger American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and Airgas, Inc. as long as the parties divest certain production and distribution assets to settle the FTC’s allegations that their proposed merger likely would have harmed competition and led to higher prices in several U.S. and regional markets.

Competitive Problem

According to the FTC’s complaint, the deal would eliminate direct competition between the two companies in certain markets that are already concentrated, increasing the likelihood that Air Liquide could unilaterally exercise market power. The FTC’s complaint also alleged that the proposed acquisition would also make it more likely that remaining competitors, if any, could collude or coordinate their actions. The FTC also alleged that entry was not likely happen quick enough to sufficiently counteract any anticompetitive price increases. As a result, customers would likely pay higher prices for industrial gases in various regional and national markets within the United States.

October 28, 2015

FTC and DOJ Urge Virginia to Repeal Certificate-of-Need Law

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On Monday, October 26, 2015, in a joint statement, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice urged the state of Virginia to reform or repeal its certificate-of-need (CON) law.

CON laws typically require hospitals to obtain government approval before undergoing expansion projects or purchasing major assets, including hospital equipment. Virginia is known to have one of the most restrictive CON laws in the country, and the antitrust enforcement agencies recently have addressed the possible negative effects such laws have on competition, stating that CON laws may impede on healthcare providers’ abilities to provide efficient and effective services for consumers and may hinder competition by creating barriers to entry, limiting consumer choice, and stifling innovation.

In the joint statement, the enforcement agencies cited several studies that show that CON laws have not been effective at controlling costs or improving quality for consumers and indicated that more targeted measures might better address such goals. While Virginia has an established working group tasked with addressing the issues surrounding CON laws, no final decisions have been made on the status of the state’s current CON law.

October 26, 2015

Senators Urge FTC To Investigate Manufacturers of Saline

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On Monday, October 26, 2015, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Chairwoman, Edith Ramirez, requesting that the FTC investigate possible illegal collusion by saline solution manufacturers.

In their letter, the senators noted that there has been a shortage of saline solution in the United States since 2013 and that the three companies that provide all the saline solution for the United States, Baxter, Hospira, and B. Braun, have failed to end the shortage. The senators further claim that such activity may be the result of collusive behavior by the manufacturing companies to exploit the shortage of saline solution to increase their own profits and that this activity has resulted in higher costs to hospitals, patients, and the overall healthcare system. The letter also states that hospitals have reported that Baxter, Hospira, and B. Braun have each imposed greater price increases (200-300%) since the shortage began. The senators also state that the manufacturers on saline solution customers who do not also purchase additional non-saline products, effectively claiming that the manufacturers may be illegally tying the products.

Given the rising costs of healthcare, the FTC should ensure that anticompetitive conduct does not further increase those costs. Therefore, the senators urge the FTC to investigate the troubling allegations to determine whether the saline suppliers’ apparent anticompetitive conduct is harming consumers and running afoul of the antitrust laws.

August 8, 2015

FTC Issues Best Practices for Merger Investigations

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On August 4, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued its Best Practices for Merger Investigations. The Best Practices provide guidance to merging parties on steps they can work cooperatively with the staff by engaging in early discussions, determining effectively when to pull and refile an HSR notification form, narrowing Second Requests, engage in a quick look review and modify Second Requests.

Engage the Staff Early

The FTC guidance encourages merging parties to engage the staff early during the initial waiting period or even before the HSR filing. Antitrust counsel should provide strategic plans, product catalogs, top 10 customer lists, competitor information, market shares, helpful ordinary course of business documents and anything else pertinent to the potential competitive issues. Most of this information would be requested in a voluntary access letter anyway so providing these materials in advance of a request may preempt a prolonged investigation or save time by helping the staff narrow the areas of concern.

May 29, 2015

FTC Challenges Deal Based on Future Competition Concerns

by Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC

On May 29, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued an administrative complaint alleging that Steris Corporation’s (“Steris”) proposed $1.9 billion acquisition of Synergy Health plc (“Synergy”) would violate the antitrust laws by significantly reducing future competition in regional markets for sterilization of products using radiation, particularly gamma or x-ray radiation.

Background

On October 13, 2014, Steris, headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, announced its intention to acquire Synergy, headquartered in the United Kingdom. On January 9, 2015, the parties received request for additional information and documentary material (“second requests”). On April 30, 2015, the parties announced that they certified compliance and entered into a timing agreement where they agreed to close the combination before June 2, 2015, unless the FTC closes the investigation before June 2nd.