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On July 3, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Army Corps”), and the Departments of Energy (“DOE”), Interior (“DOI”), Transportation (“DOT”), Agriculture (“USDA”), and Defense (“DOD”) released sweeping updates to their regulations and procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”).
V&E Environmental Update
Kara Kuritz and Ryan Will examine how shifting FTC policies on prior approval provisions are reshaping merger enforcement, offering in-house legal teams critical insights into navigating antitrust risk. They outline practical strategies for anticipating regulatory scrutiny, understanding divergent FTC and DOJ approaches, and structuring deals to avoid or mitigate burdensome consent order requirements in today’s evolving antitrust landscape.
Published by The Antitrust Source
June 2025
Colorado’s antitrust landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation — not just because of the sweeping legislative changes enacted in 2023, but also due to the assertive approach now being taken by the Colorado Attorney General (“AG”).
On July 1, 2025, a little over two weeks after the Senate Finance Committee released its draft tax title (the “Initial Senate Draft”), the U.S. Senate secured sufficient votes to advance its version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (the “OBBBA”) — a comprehensive budget reconciliation bill — back to the House of Representatives, which voted in favor of the bill on July 3, 2025.
The California State Assembly recently unveiled legislation (“AB 325”) designed to strengthen California antitrust enforcement in two ways.
V&E Antitrust Update
On June 16, 2025, the Senate Finance Committee released its draft tax title for inclusion in the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (the “OBBBA”).
On June 9, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ” or the “Department”) will resume investigating and prosecuting violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) with a decidedly new “America First” approach to enforcement.
V&E White Collar Update
On June 6, 2025, the Acting Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”), Coke Morgan Stewart, issued a decision denying institution of five inter partes review (“IPR”) petitions filed by iRhythm, Inc. against patents held by Welch Allyn, Inc.
V&E Intellectual Property Update
On June 17, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a proposed rule that, if finalized, would repeal all greenhouse gas (“GHG”) standards for the power sector.
V&E Energy Update
On May 23, 2025, General License 25 (“GL 25” or the “General License”) was issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), suspending a wide array of sanctions against Syria.
V&E Economic Sanctions Update
The European Union has kicked off a new era of AI regulation. With the Artificial Intelligence Act (“the Act”), which went into force on August 1, 2024, the EU has established the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence.