Illumina/PacBio: killing a killer acquisition, or the birth of nascent competition enforcement?

Coordinated action taken by the US Federal Trade Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority against Illumina’s proposed acquisition of Pacific Biosciences indicates that both antitrust enforcers are significantly increasing their focus on deals involving nascent competition. Other agencies are likely to follow suit. Crowell & Moring partners Alexis Gilman, Sean-Paul Brankin, Olivier Antoine, and associates Evi Mattioli and Eric Ashby look at the aggressive enforcement theories behind scrutiny of this merger.