The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976 requires companies to file merger notices with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice for certain acquisitions.
The need for pre-merger notices depends on three factors: the nature of the business, the size of the parties involved, and the size of the transaction.
If regulators see potential anti-competitive issues, they may negotiate concessions with companies or try to pre-ban the deal.