remedies – Page 3 – Antitrust Intelligence

Is Worldline-Ingenico the Last FinTech Deal To Get An Easy Pass?

September 19, 2020September 19, 2020Editorial

Worldline nears closing a deal to acquire rival Ingenico as the remedies submitted during a phase I merger investigation are likely to be accepted by EU regulators. Yet, this deal, together with the recent Mastercard-Nets, suggest that the days when a FinTech deal was barely scrutinized by regulators and quickly approved may be gone. More consolidation in the market is expected as companies seek to offer omnichannel payment solutions but from now on, antitrust approvals may cost dearly.

Apple’s Facing an Epic Battle for its App Store, $5 Billion in Fines and Changes

September 9, 2020September 9, 2020Editorial

Apple is facing four antitrust investigations in Europe related to its App Store. Epic Games filed a lawsuit in the U.S. against the company for anticompetitive practices in the App Store and Germany, Japan and Australia have shown interest in these developments. The EU probe may bring more than $5 billion in fines and changes to the Apple’s App Store.

LSE Likely Needs More Divestitures To Close Refinitiv Deal

September 2, 2020September 2, 2020Editorial

LSE is accepting bids for Borsa Italiana or for its bond trading platform, MTS, in an attempt to ease the EU merger review. While this divestiture is likely to bring the approval closer, it may still fall short to allay additional concerns on the market for derivatives and access to financial data.

Thyssenkrupp-Kone’s Elevator Tieup May Stay in Ground Floor

May 24, 2019May 24, 2019Editorial

(Premium)- After a failed JV with Tata, Thyssenkrupp is now trying to sell its elevator unit to Kone. Yet, this deal would likely face significant antitrust scrutiny in Europe and an approval may come at a very high price for both companies.

5 Things You Should Know About the ICN 2019

May 13, 2019August 25, 2020Editorial

After three days of debates and discussions in Cartagena, it is clear that the priority for antitrust authorities is how to apply competition law in digital markets. Non-horizontal mergers, remedies in unilateral conducts and ex-officio cartel probes were also some of the relevant topics of this year’s ICN.

Thyssenkrupp-Tata Likely Needs to Beef Up Remedy Plan to Get EU Approval

May 3, 2019May 12, 2019Editorial

(Premium) – Thyssenkrupp and Tata will likely need to beef up their remedy package to win EU antitrust approval by June 17. Yet, additional divestitures may affect the rationale of the deal.

Spotify’s Chances Against Apple Hinges On Market Definition

April 6, 2019May 17, 2019Editorial

Spotify filed on March 13 an antitrust complaint against Apple for allegedly leveraging its market power on the app store to limit Spotify’s access to iOS users. Yet, EU precedents on music streaming app services suggest that Apple may not be dominant in some relevant markets and if this is still true, Apple’s practices, while damaging for Spotify, won’t be anticompetitive.

A Deutsche Bank-Commerzbank Deal Would Have an Easy Regulatory Ride.

February 17, 2019April 26, 2019Editorial

A Deutsche Bank-Commerzbank deal have been a few years in the making, but after the latest comments from German regulators and politicians, it seems that the deal may be closer. The lenders overlap in retail and corporate banking, but the combined market share isn’t likely to raise any antitrust concerns. Yet, is it the merger of two failing banks the solution to create a good one?

How Can I Save an Anticompetitive Merger? Remedies!

January 12, 2019March 24, 2019Editorial

For most M&A deals that raise antitrust flags, remedies may appease regulators. While divestitures are the preferred option, especially in horizontal deals, behavioural remedies are widely used in vertical and conglomerate mergers.

CME-NEX Likely Clears in 4Q After U.K.’s Review Kicked Off

October 12, 2018May 2, 2019Editorial

(Premium) – CME and NEX shouldn’t find any opposition from the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to clear their $5.4 billion deal. Minimal horizontal overlaps and the parties’ complementary businesses suggest the merger review should end with a phase-one approval by year-end.