HSR reported transactions reached 271 in August 2026, a fiscal-year high and 41.9% above August 2025. With fiscal 2026 at 2,362 and third-quarter deal volume falling sharply, here is what the gap between filings and signings means for second request planning.
HSR reported transactions reached 233 in July 2026, a 20.7% jump from June and 29.4% above July 2025, lifting the preliminary fiscal 2026 total to 2,091 with two months to go. This month’s report pairs the FTC’s count with the fiscal 2025 annual report’s finalized data, a proposed final judgment carrying a record $12 million in HSR penalties, the DOJ’s optional Expedited Consideration process for second requests, second-quarter GDP growth held at 1.5% in the BEA’s second estimate, and a record $2.8 trillion first half for global M&A.
The European Commission fined Google €890 million and required compliance within 60 days. The harder problem is evidentiary: gatekeepers face growing pressure to document how ranking decisions were made, not simply to change them.
Google’s €890 million DMA penalty package starts a 60-day compliance clock Read More »
The FTC logged 235 HSR filings in May 2026 — a FY2026 high, the strongest month since December 2021, and a 58.8 percent jump over last year. With FY2026 volume running 22 percent ahead of FY2025 and a new form rulemaking in play, here is what the surge means for Second Request and eDiscovery planning.
HSR Filings Hit 235 in May 2026, the Highest Monthly Total Since December 2021 Read More »
China’s National Development and Reform Commission has ordered Meta and Manus to unwind a $2 billion AI acquisition closed four months earlier — the first publicly announced foreign-investment prohibition in AI under Beijing’s CFIUS-equivalent security review framework. The decision reshapes diligence and procurement risk for legal-tech buyers, eDiscovery vendors, and any enterprise contracting with AI providers tied to China-origin engineering or training data.
China’s Meta-Manus Block Adds New Risk Layer to Cross-Border AI Diligence Read More »
HSR filings held firm in February 2026 even as GDP growth slowed and the legal status of the expanded HSR form shifted. This analysis explains what the latest filing data means for eDiscovery, cybersecurity, and information governance teams preparing for deal-driven data risk.
The HSR Pulse: Navigating the 2026 M&A Data Surge Read More »
HSR filing volume isn’t just a deal counter—it’s an early-warning system for when M&A work is about to get hard. The late-2025 spike and January 2026’s steady level point to a pipeline that will compress diligence and integration timelines, amplifying cyber, privacy, governance, and eDiscovery bottlenecks—especially if agency scrutiny escalates into a Second Request.
The HSR Early-Warning System: How Filing Surges Amplify Cyber and eDiscovery Bottlenecks Read More »
While HSR filing volumes are recovering from their 2023 lows, the real story is the intensity of review. New FY 2024 data reveals that Second Request rates have rebounded to 3.0%—effectively double the rate seen during the pandemic deal boom. For eDiscovery professionals, this signals that the “new normal” isn’t about volume; it’s about the collision of high scrutiny and billion-dollar deal complexity.
Second Requests Settle In: HSR Data Points to a New Normal in M&A Scrutiny Read More »
On September 2, 2025, Judge Amit Mehta declined to mandate the breakup of Google’s core platforms—Chrome and Android—but instead delivered a landmark decision requiring Google to share key search index and user‑interaction data with qualified competitors, ban exclusive default contracts, and establish a court‑supervised Technical Committee to enforce these remedies, all within an AI‑reshaped competitive landscape.
Google’s Antitrust Verdict: The Crystal Ball Moment That May Reshape Big Tech’s Future Read More »
U.S. M&A filings rose to 1,699 through July 2025, with 180 deals reported in the month. As the market steadies, cybersecurity, governance, and eDiscovery professionals play a vital role in ensuring secure and compliant deal execution.
June’s HSR filings highlight steady dealmaking despite ongoing volatility. Discover how M&A trends, economic conditions, and professional responsibilities intersect in this latest ComplexDiscovery analysis.
May 2025 HSR data shows strategic steadiness in U.S. deal activity despite economic strain, spotlighting the growing role of cybersecurity, information governance, and eDiscovery professionals in enabling secure and compliant mergers and acquisitions.
Strategic Signals: May 2025 HSR Filings Reveal Steady M&A Amid Market Shifts Read More »
