Transactions closing toward the end of February will be subject to increased HSR Act jurisdictional and filing fee thresholds as announced by the US Federal Trade Commission. 

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on January 26 that it will raise the Hart­-Scott­-Rodino Act (HSR Act) jurisdictional and filing fee thresholds. Any transaction closing on or after the effective date of the notice (30 days after the pending publication in the Federal Register) will be subject to the revised thresholds.

The new rules include an increase in the “size of transaction” test from transactions valued at greater than $80.8 million to transactions valued at greater than $84.4 million—which means that, under the new threshold, acquisitions valued for HSR Act purposes at $84.4 million or less will not require preclosing filing and approval.

New Jurisdictional Thresholds

As a general rule, the HSR Act requires both Acquiring Persons and Acquired Persons (each as defined in the HSR Act) to file notifications if the following post-adjustment jurisdictional thresholds are met:

1. One person has net sales or total assets of at least $16.9 million;

2. the other person has net sales or total assets of at least $168.8 million; and

3. as a result of the transaction, the Acquiring Person will hold stock and/or assets^[1] of the Acquired Person valued at more than $84.4 million; or

4. as a result of the transaction, the Acquiring Person will hold stock and/or assets of the Acquired Person valued at more than $337.6 million, regardless of the sales or assets of the Acquiring and Acquired Persons.

Conditions 1 and 2 are generally referred to as the “size of person” test, while conditions 3 and 4 are commonly described as the “size of transaction” test.

The HSR Act rules relating to acquisitions of partnership interests and membership interests in a limited liability company (LLC) remain the same. Only acquisitions of economic control in an LLC or partnership may be reportable. “Control” is defined as having a right to 50% or more of the profits of a partnership or LLC or 50% or more of the assets upon the dissolution of such entity.

New Filing Fee Thresholds

Filing fees are also determined by a threshold test relating to the size of the transaction. While the valuation thresholds have changed, the fees themselves have not been adjusted:

The figures above represent the new “as adjusted” threshold figures. The table below illustrates the changes.

These changes are being implemented pursuant to the 2000 amendments to Section 7A of the Clayton Antitrust Act. Section 7A(a)(2) of the Clayton Antitrust Act requires the FTC to revise the jurisdictional thresholds annually, based on the change in gross national product, in accordance with Section 8(a)(5). The revised thresholds will apply to all transactions that close on or after the effective date.

_{[1] Certain aggregation rules relating to prior holding of stock or assets may apply.}