To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: On Thursday, February 4, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with the concurrence of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (DOJ), announced that it had suspended the process by which requests for early termination of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR Act) waiting periods are granted, potentially signaling a more aggressive approach to merger review. Key Takeaways For the foreseeable future, filing parties must in all cases wait for the full 30-day waiting period to expire before closing. The rule applies to currently filed transactions and to any new filings. The shift in practice by the FTC and the DOJ may preview a significant departure from the approach to merger enforcement under both Democratic and Republican administrations for decades.