DOJ Is Seeking Comments On Updating Bank Merger Review

“Innovative emerging technologies are disrupting traditional banking models and introducing new competitive elements to the financial sector,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim. “As part of the division’s increased attention to modernizing our competitive analysis of financial services markets, we are examining whether the 1995 Banking Guidelines need updating to reflect our evolving economy.”

The federal antitrust laws generally apply to financial institutions in the same way as to other economic sectors. Special procedures, however, apply to the competitive review of bank mergers. The relevant bank regulatory agency must approve any bank merger application following a concurrent competitive review conducted by the division. Historically, the initial review of the large number of bank merger applications received annually by the division is done through a review process based on the Banking Guidelines using market shares, market concentration thresholds, and other market facts and conditions. The purpose of this process is to identify proposed mergers that do not have significantly adverse effects on competition and to allow them to proceed quickly. If a bank merger application raises potential competitive concerns, the division may open an investigation. In investigating the competitive effects of bank transactions, the Division applies the same federal antitrust laws and antitrust analysis that it applies to other industries, including the analytical framework set forth in the Department of Justice’s Horizontal Merger Guidelines. As set forth in the Federal Reserve and the division’s 2014 Frequently Asked Questions, the division’s review of bank mergers is “independent” from review by the Federal Reserve (and other bank regulators) and “a transaction that meets the Federal Reserve’s HHI delegation threshold still may raise concern in the division’s review.”