Essential Antitrust #30: ASSA ABLOY/Spectrum Brands: a breakthrough for M&A remedies in the US?

The Biden Administration antitrust agencies have viewed merger remedies in the US with strong skepticism. The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division’s attempt to block ASSA ABLOY’s acquisition of Spectrum Brands’ Hardware and Home Improvement division was a case in point, until the trial concluded due to a rare settlement in May 2023, opening the door for the transaction to proceed subject to a divestiture remedy. In the latest episode of our Essential Antitrust podcast our host Jenn Mellott is joined by Justin Stewart-Teitelbaum, partner in Washington, DC, and Angela Landry, counsel in Washington, DC and Silicon Valley, to discuss the implications of the settlement and what it means for merging parties considering remedy packages.