Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Merger control definition

What does Merger control mean? Merger control is the review of mergers, acquisitions and certain joint ventures by competition authorities to prevent anti-competitive effects and to clear, condition or prohibit deals. In the UK, it is governed by the enterprise Act 2002 (as amended). The competition and markets authority (CMA) may review completed or anticipated deals where a 'relevant merger situation' arises: enterprises cease to be distinct and either the target’s UK turnover exceeds £70m or the parties meet/increase a 25% share of supply in the UK (or a substantial part). Notification is voluntary, but the CMA can call in transactions and impose...

United States merger control: HSR thresholds, filings and fees, joint ventures, foreign-to-foreign deals, state copy-filing laws, Section 8 interlocks, penalties, and 2023–2026 enforcement developments

Published by a LexisNexis Competition expert

Practice notes

Note—To verify whether notification thresholds in the United States and worldwide are met, please refer to: Where to Notify.

1. Have there been any recent developments or noteworthy items in relation to ? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in the US?

Recent developments and key trends include:

Changes to HSR Act framework: On 10 October 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirmed the final version of proposed amendments to the Hart‑Scott‑Rodino (HSR) Act rules, which took effect on 10 February 2025. The revisions materially widen the volume and categories of information, documents and data required for HSR submissions. They particularly seek fuller detail on private equity and other financial sponsor organisations, officer and director board appointments, any existing or potential horizontal or vertical overlaps between the parties, and further information on corporate and transaction structures. The rules also broaden HSR document production obligations. On 12 February 2026, a US federal district court judge in the Eastern District of Texas set aside and vacated the new rules. On 19 February 2026, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the district court’s ruling pending further order of the court...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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