U.S. antitrust regulators have dialed back plans to collect a mass of data from companies planning mergers, but even the softened requirements will be a tough adjustment for private-equity firms, attorneys say. On Oct. 10, the Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to expand the amount of information collected under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which established the federal review process for mergers and acquisitions. The new rules, initially proposed more than a year ago, are slated to take effect next year. Antitrust lawyers call it the biggest change to the Hart-Scott-Rodino process in decades, one that will saddle private equity with more paperwork, fees and headaches, but might not—the industry hopes—result in more blocked deals.
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Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-u-s-merger-rules-would-weigh-heavily-on-private-equity-d982e7a6