Jul 232026

Sidley’s Antitrust and Competition Bulletin: U.S. and EU Authorities Signal Evolving Enforcement Priorities

White Collar Watch
,

Antitrust enforcement continues to evolve on both sides of the Atlantic, with regulators sharpening their focus on consumer pricing, merger oversight, and national security review. The July 2026 edition of Sidley’s Antitrust and Competition Bulletin highlights several recent developments that signal where enforcement priorities may be headed.

This issue covers the DOJ and FTC’s call for state Attorneys General to investigate potential anticompetitive practices affecting gasoline prices, the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Slaughter expanding presidential authority over FTC commissioners, the FTC’s $12 million HSR settlement, new guidance from the European Competition Network on merger call-in powers, and the EU’s adoption of updated foreign investment screening rules.

Click here to read the full bulletin for Sidley’s perspective on what these developments mean for businesses navigating antitrust compliance, M&A transactions, and an increasingly active global enforcement landscape.

This post is as of the posting date stated above. Sidley Austin LLP assumes no duty to update this post or post about any subsequent developments having a bearing on this post.

White Collar Watch

You might also like
EU Forced Labor Regulation Moves Toward Implementation: How Companies Should Prepare

On June 26, 2026, the European Commission (Commission) published its long-awaited guidelines on the Forced Labor Regulation (FLR). The FLR, which entered into force in December 2024 (see Sidley Update of December 2024) and will apply in full from December 14, 2027, introduces a broad ban on products made, wholly or partly, with forced labor at any stage of the supply chain, regardless of product type, sector, or origin.

June Antitrust and Competition Bulletin: Top-of-Mind Global Antitrust Issues

Welcome to this edition of the Sidley Antitrust and Competition Bulletin — thoughts on topics that are top of mind for Sidley’s global Antitrust and Competition team and why they may matter to you.

  • Stanley Woodward assumes authority to act as Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division
  • Federal Trade Commission holds workshop titled “Eleventh-Hour Antitrust Remedy Proposals and Litigating the Fix”
  • Federal Trade Commission requires Ascension Divestitures to close its $3.9 billion acquisition of AmSurg
  • European Commission continues enforcement against coordination through minority shareholdings
  • European Commission publishes Annual Report on Competition Policy, the first such report under Executive Vice-President Ribera’s leadership
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce symposium examines modern pricing practices through both U.S. antitrust and consumer protection lenses

Read more on how this news can affect your business below….

DOJ Signals Increasing Scrutiny of Vertically Integrated Healthcare Companies

On May 19, 2026, Nicole Sarrine, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) for Civil Conduct in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, signaled increasing suspicion of vertically integrated companies in the healthcare sector in remarks delivered at the Transparency Rising 2026 National Forum.[1]