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FTC Increases HSR and Section 8 Thresholds

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.26.12

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it would increase the jurisdictional thresholds applicable to both the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the "HSR Act") and Section 8 of the Clayton Act. These dollar thresholds are indexed annually based on changes in the U.S. gross national product.

The HSR Act requires that certain large transactions be notified prior to their consummation. This year, the minimum "size-of-transaction" threshold for reporting mergers and acquisitions will increase from $66.0 million to $68.2 million. In addition, the "size-of-person" thresholds, the filing fee thresholds and the thresholds applicable to certain exemptions will also increase. These revisions will become effective thirty days after their publication in the Federal Register.

The FTC also issued revised thresholds relating to the prohibition of certain interlocking directorates under Section 8 of the Clayton Act. Those revisions take effect immediately upon their publication in the Federal Register.

Click here to read a full copy of the Commission's announcement, including all of the revised thresholds.

Insights

Client Alert | 8 min read | 09.09.25

FTC Stops Defending Rule Banning Noncompete Agreements, Opting Instead for “Aggressive” Case-by-Case Enforcement

On September 5, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) withdrew its appeals of decisions issued by Texas and Florida federal district courts, which enjoined the FTC from enforcing a nationwide rule banning almost all noncompete employment agreements. Companies, however, should not read this decision to mean that their noncompete agreements will no longer be subjected to antitrust scrutiny by federal enforcers. In a statement joined by Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, Chairman Andrew Ferguson stressed that the FTC “will continue to enforce the antitrust laws aggressively against noncompete agreements” and warned that “firms in industries plagued by thickets of noncompete agreements will receive [in the coming days] warning letters from me, urging them to consider abandoning those agreements as the Commission prepares investigations and enforcement actions.”...