Makan Delrahim
What approach will the Trump administration take with respect to the approval of mergers and acquisitions? That question has come closer to an answer: Makan Delrahim, formerly a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was recently nominated to lead the DOJ’s antitrust review of mergers and acquisitions.
The appointment requires Senate approval, and Delrahim’s experience — both at Brownstein Hyatt and as deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust in the George W. Bush administration — is expected to be a real asset in that process. However, if confirmed there are several potential landmines waiting for him in the form of high-profile mergers on the agenda, including AT&T’s proposed purchase of Time Warner. That merger has a lot of political repercussions associated with it, as reported by the New York Times:
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The review of AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner has drawn speculation because of promises Mr. Trump made on the campaign trail to block the deal. Mr. Trump’s disdain for news coverage by CNN, which is owned by Time Warner, has raised questions over whether the president may try to influence the deal. Jeff Sessions, Mr. Trump’s attorney general, has promised to block any political influence on Justice Department decisions.
Mr. Delrahim, whose nomination will go before the Senate for confirmation, is expected to take a more free-market approach to his job of antitrust enforcement, according to analysts. His style is expected to be in line with mainstream Republicans.
Whether or not this appointment is a true win for mainstream Republicans remains to be seen. It will be interesting to see the tack that Delrahim takes, should he receive Senate approval.
Trump Appoints One of His Lawyers to Review Mergers [New York Times]
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Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).