Book Description

By re-titling the latest Edition as THE GLOBAL MERGER CONTROL MANUAL, the Editors acknowledge that parties to cross-border transactions can no longer treat merger control as a box-ticking exercise but must instead build a full merger control analysis (including a substantive assessment, coordinated filing strategies, review process timetables, etc.) into the transaction strategy as a whole. This and the prior editions of the Manual (or Handbook) were written by, and written for, practicing lawyers to assist in carrying out the daunting tasks associated with competition review of multinational mergers and acquisitions. Most of the contributors to this Edition are competition law experts at Baker & McKenzie, a law firm with offices in 38 countries, which is particularly well suited to such an international survey and publication. We have also drawn on the experience of practicing lawyers in many other countries. The editors of this Edition are extremely grateful to these knowledgeable lawyers for their work in keeping our readers current on the many developments in merger control laws this past year has seen. Some of the major changes over the past year have been the revision of filing thresholds (which had hitherto been perceived as far too low) in numerous countries, especially many of the Central and Eastern European states that acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004, as well as important reforms to the EUs own merger control system, also effective from 1 May 2004. The latest edition retains the versatility and user-friendly features of the previous editions. Includes CD-Rom version of the entire Handbook, allowing for easy downloading. Quick Reference Guide at the beginning of the Handbook, setting out the basic filing thresholds and timing implications of the merger control process in each country. Tabulated format, providing easy access to the information about each country. Includes both a summary of the merger control rules and the legislation itself for nearly every.