Debbie Feinstein Discusses State AG Enforcement and Antitrust Trends in Legal Business

Debbie Feinstein, Arnold & Porter Antitrust/Competition partner and former Bureau of Competition Director at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), was quoted in the Legal Business article, “Open for Business: Top Antitrust Lawyers on Getting Deals Done in Trump's Second Term,” which examines how merger enforcement is evolving under the current administration.

Discussing the growing role of state attorneys general in merger review, Debbie noted that states are increasingly willing to investigate transactions that federal enforcers decline to challenge. "We are beginning to see the states jump into things. I'm hearing that they are investigating deals where the DOJ took a pass," she observed. She further explained that, while political considerations are playing a greater role in merger enforcement, companies should maintain perspective. "That doesn't mean that on every deal you need to hire a lobbyist and they'll magically make it go away, but I can't say that lobbyists are totally irrelevant either."

Debbie also discusses the ongoing antitrust scrutiny of pharmaceutical transactions, explaining that the sector receives heightened attention largely due to the volume of deals and its innovation-driven business model. She noted that acquisitions of emerging biotechnology companies are "a very normal part of the ecosystem," reflecting the central role mergers play in advancing drug development.

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