Despite rumors of political lobbying creeping into antitrust, “it’s a really good time for dealmaking here in the US.” That’s according to Kathy O’Neill, a partner in Fried Frank’s antitrust and competition department and former senior government official with 16 years of experience in the US Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust division.According to O’Neill, early and proactive interactions with the US antitrust agencies, the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), can lead to smoother antitrust reviews. In her experience, constructive engagement on the merits has even led to the clearance of deals that were likely second request candidates.In this episode of Dealcast, O’Neill joins Mergermarket’s senior US regulatory reporter Serafina Smith to discuss best practices to get deals through antitrust review during the second Trump administration.This episode also addresses the agencies’ return to accepting merger remedies—especially structural relief—and the uptick of standalone enforcement by state attorneys general.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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