Federal Trade Commission Zeroes in on Problematic Non-Competes

By and on October 5, 2020

Non-compete provisions help protect a buyer’s significant investment in an acquired business. Although non-compete clauses often play a vital role in M&A deals, they are not immune from antitrust scrutiny.

Since September 2019, the FTC has challenged noncompete provisions in at least three transactions. These demonstrate that the Commission and other antitrust enforcers are closely scrutinising non-competes and will not hesitate to challenge problematic provisions, even when the underlying transaction raises no substantive antitrust issues or when the provision relates to minority investments.

Parties to a commercial transaction can easily manage this scrutiny by tailoring the scope.

Click here to read the full article in our latest International News.

Joel R. Grosberg
Joel R. Grosberg is co-head of McDermott’s Antitrust Mergers Focus Group and assists clients on civil and criminal antitrust matters, including obtaining merger clearances, counseling and litigation. He has represented clients in obtaining antitrust approvals in numerous challenging transactions, and in other government antitrust investigations before the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and foreign competition authorities. Joel has significant experience in the high tech, chemical, health care and life sciences industries, including counseling on matters related to pricing and distribution practices and other competition-related issues. Read Joel Grosberg's full bio.


Lisa P. Rumin
Lisa P. Rumin focuses her practice on antitrust, regulatory and litigation matters. She assists clients across a variety of industries and has represented numerous clients in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. Lisa advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, including obtaining clearance from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as counsels clients on issues regarding antitrust compliance, pricing, and distribution. Read Lisa Rumin's full bio here. 

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