Antitrust Pressure Sees More Deals Abandoned, Allen & Overy Says

Companies abandoned a third more deals in 2018 than in the previous year amid pressure from antitrust authorities, according to a report by law firm Allen & Overy that may suggest businesses around the world may be less willing to fight regulators.

While the U.S. only blocked one deal, five others were ditched during an antitrust review, one after regulatory requests delayed closing, Allen & Overy said. The European Union didn’t veto any tie-ups but three were withdrawn, two at a late stage. Merger filings hit a record in 2018, with 96 percent of transactions approved without concessions. Overall, 22 ...