Patricia Zeigler

Of Counsel

Washington, D.C. Office

Read full biography at www.orrick.com

Patricia Zeigler, Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office, focuses her practice on antitrust law with particular emphasis in Hart-Scott-Rodino Act compliance and counseling. Her experience includes advising clients on issues of reportability and interpretations of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and its regulations.

Pat also has experience in the applicability of foreign premerger requirements and filings with regulators in the European Union, Asia and Canada.

Pat served as antitrust counsel to two large industry groups establishing Business to Business exchanges for E-commerce transactions. She currently serves as general counsel to five large trade associations in a wide range of industries. In addition, Pat works with trade groups to set up and run joint purchasing organizations.

Prior to joining the firm, Pat practiced antitrust law for over a decade with Pillsbury Madison & Sutro.

In addition to being admitted in the District of Columbia, Pat is also admitted in California (inactive).

Posts by: Patricia Zeigler

Don’t Hold Back: FTC Offers New Guidance on HSR Filing Obligations

Patricia ZeiglerPosted on December 21, 2017

As discussed previously on this blog, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 requires parties to certain proposed transactions to submit detailed premerger notification filings and wait for clearance before consummating the deal. To facilitate the antitrust review, merging companies that meet the HSR thresholds are required to submit a wealth of information about their businesses and the proposed transaction, including annual reports, market analyses, and agreements and other documents bearing on the deal. Despite these broad requirements, the FTC found that some merging companies were withholding side agreements relevant to the antitrust review process on the theory that they were ancillary to the main agreement and/or protected by a common interest privilege or joint defense agreement. READ MORE →

Getting in Sync with HSR Timing Considerations

Patricia Zeigler and Jonathan DirenfeldPosted on August 31, 2017

Word 'M&A' of the yellow square pixels on a black matrix background. Mergers and acquisitions concept. Getting in Sync with HSR Timing Considerations

A common question for companies contemplating mergers or acquisitions is how the Hart-Scott-Rodino process works and how long it takes for different kinds of transactions to be reviewed and cleared. The FTC posted a helpful article here today which provides practitioners with guidance regarding timing parameters under the HSR Act, including a helpful HSR timeline graph which can be accessed here.

2017 HSR Filing Thresholds Announced

Patricia ZeiglerPosted on January 26, 2017

The Federal Trade Commission announced new 2017 premerger notification thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Image of word Mergers above abstract digital information to represent Business&Financial as concept.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced new (2017) premerger notification thresholds under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act as follows:

Any acquisition of voting securities and/or assets requires premerger notification to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice under the HSR Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder (16 C.F.R. Sections 801 – 803) if the following tests are satisfied and if no exemption applies (15 U.S.C. Section 18a(a)(2)). Where a premerger notification is required, both parties must file, the acquiring person must pay a filing fee ((i) $45,000 for transactions below $161.5 million, (ii) $125,000 for transactions of $161.5 million or more but less than $807.5 million, and (iii) $280,000 for transactions of $807.5 million or more) and the parties must observe a 30 day waiting period prior to closing.

The FTC Expands the Scope of Documents Needed for an HSR Filing

Patricia Zeigler and Emily LukenPosted on November 30, 2016

As of November 28, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission expanded the filing obligations under teh Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act. Mergers and Acquisitisions Office folder on Desktop on table with Office Supplies and Ipad.

As of November 28, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has expanded the filing obligations under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act by requiring filers to submit certain documents analyzing a deal or affected markets even where the evaluation or analysis is limited to geographies or operations outside of the United States. This is a significant shift in the Agency’s interpretation of Items 4(c) and 4(d) of the HSR Notification and Report Form.

ValueAct Settlement Marks Record Penalty in Heightened Agency Efforts Against HSR Act Violations

Patricia ZeiglerPosted on July 18, 2016

Where is the line drawn between acquisitions of securities made “solely for the purpose of investment” on one hand, and influencing control, thereby requiring regulatory approval, on the other hand? That is the central cautionary question that was reinforced by the July 12, 2016, Department of Justice (“DOJ”) settlement with ValueAct Capital. The well-known activist investment firm agreed to pay $11 million to settle a suit alleging that it violated the premerger reporting and waiting period requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“HSR Act”). ValueAct purchased more than $2.5 billion of shares in two oil companies, Baker Hughes Inc. and Halliburton Co., after they announced they would merge. The DOJ alleged that ValueAct used its ownership position to influence the proposed merger and other aspects of Baker Hughes and Halliburton, and thus could not rely on the exemption.

FTC Increases Maximum Civil Penalties for Violations of Competition Statutes

Daniel A. Pincus and Patricia ZeiglerPosted on June 30, 2016

On June 30, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced increases to the maximum civil penalties issuable for violations of several key competition statutes. The agency made these changes to comply with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, which required the agency adjust penalty amounts for laws it enforces based on a methodology provided for by Congress.

FTC Provides New Guidance on Classifying Foreign Entities Under the HSR Pre-Merger Notification Program

Daniel A. Pincus and Patricia ZeiglerPosted on May 20, 2016

On May 19, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC)” issued an important clarification regarding how the agency will determine whether a foreign entity is classified as corporate or non-corporate for the purpose of the agency’s premerger notification program.^[1] Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976^[2] (also referred to as the “HSR Act”), parties to certain mergers or acquisitions must notify both the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice prior to consummating the transaction. Under this program, whether a party to the transaction is a corporate or non-corporate entity (e.g., an LLC, partnership) can have significant implications for determining whether a filing is required and whether an exemption might apply.^[3] While evaluating party status has historically been straightforward for U.S. entities, foreign entities pose a number of challenges.

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