transactional risk News

Kroger Case Tests FTC Chair’s Bid to Protect Workers

Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan’s initiative to use antitrust laws to protect workers faces a key test starting Monday when the agency will argue the merger between grocery chain Kroger and its rival Albertsons would crush unionized workers’ bargaining …

Kroger Seeks to Block FTC Case Against Albertsons Acquisition

Kroger Co. is seeking to block the Federal Trade Commission’s in-house case against its proposed purchase of rival grocer Albertsons Cos., claiming the proceeding is unconstitutional. The FTC, eight states and Washington, DC, challenged the Kroger-Albertsons tie-up in February, suing …

Towers Watson Again Denied Coverage for $90M Settlements Over 2016 Willis Merger

Towers Watson has been hit with another roadblock on its long and winding road to reach coverage for $90 million in settlements of two lawsuits related to its merger with broker Willis in 2016. A Virginia federal district judge in …

JetBlue, Spirit Airlines Call Off $3.8B Merger on Antitrust Hurdle

Low-cost air carriers JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines canceled their $3.8-billion merger agreement on Monday, seeing no path forward after a U.S. judge blocked the deal in January on anti-competition concerns. A successful deal would have created the fifth-largest carrier …

FTC Sues to Block Kroger’s $24.6 Billion Albertsons Deal

The US Federal Trade Commission, eight states and Washington DC sued to block Kroger Co.’s $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons Cos. Monday, arguing the tie-up would lead to lower wages for workers and higher prices for groceries. In a complaint …

HP Claims $4 Billion Losses in London Lawsuit Over Autonomy Deal

Hewlett-Packard lost more than $4 billion over its acquisition of British software firm Autonomy because of an elaborate fraud masterminded by its co-founder Mike Lynch to inflate the company’s value, HP’s lawyers told a London court on Monday. HP is …

Progressive Groups Ask DOJ to Reverse New M&A Safe Harbor Policy

More than a dozen groups are pressing the U.S. Justice Department to retreat from a new policy they say gives a “free pass” to corporate wrongdoers, a sign of mounting criticism among progressives of enforcement under President Joe Biden. Demand …

Musk Claims Lawyers Overbilled in Fight to Make Him Buy Twitter

Elon Musk sued the law firm that led the court fight to make him complete his takeover of Twitter, saying it took advantage of the company while running up a $90 million bill. Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, among the …

The New M&A Rules That Would Delay Million-Dollar Deals

The US antitrust agencies are requiring firms to turn over much more information about their transactions than before in an overhaul to merger rules that could delay deals by months. The revamp of the so-called Hart-Scott-Rodino filing process, a move …

Tesla’s $2.6 Billion SolarCity Buyout Ruled Fair as Dismissal of Shareholder Suit Upheld

esla Inc.’s $2.6 billion acquisition of SolarCity in 2016 was “entirely fair” to shareholders, Delaware’s top court ruled, upholding the dismissal of an investor lawsuit and sparing Elon Musk from a potential multibillion-dollar hit. The Delaware Supreme Court on Tuesday …