Below the Threshold, Not Above the Law: FTC Cracks Down on HSR Avoidance

The FTC secured $12 million in penalties from Edwards Lifesciences and Genesis MedTech for structuring an acquisition to avoid Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) premerger reporting requirements, marking the largest penalty ever for this violation. The settlement signals aggressive enforcement against deal structuring designed to evade antitrust review, with the FTC now scrutinising acquihires, side agreements, and related investments across multiple transaction types.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Medtech. Wire is Fusion42's founder-focused intelligence feed: each story is connected to the funds and startups it names — every one with a live profile on Raise or Scout — so founders can follow the capital and the momentum behind the headline rather than just the headline itself. Wire analysis is one of the live surfaces Arthur reasons over.