Competition Law Enforcement Trends in the U.S., Europe and China: Looking Ahead to 2018

2017 was another year of active enforcement globally—including in the U.S., despite the start of a new Presidential Administration touting an aggressive deregulatory agenda. Transactions in consolidated industries drew enforcement fire in both Europe and the United States (Dow/DuPont, ChemChina/Syngenta, Bayer/Monsanto, AT&T/TimeWarner). And, in March, the UK government formally started the “Brexit process,” which raises important questions about the enforcement of EU competition rules in the UK.

This Alert looks back at the major competition/antitrust developments in 2017 in the United States, Europe and China and the Covington view of what to expect in 2018.