On August 7, 2018, the FTC’s Bureau of Competition announced a new new Model Timing Agreement for its merger reviews. This is part of its initiatives to streamline its merger review process.
Merger investigations typically involve timing agreements, which provide an agreed-upon framework for the timing of certain steps in the investigation. Timing agreements provide the FTC staff with notice of when the parties plan to close the deal. Both parties and staff benefit from having such a framework established shortly after issuance of the Second Request as it allows staff and the parties to engage in substantive discussions with more certainty about the timing.