For Release: May 21,
2002 The Urge to Merge
- FTC Provides Details on Upcoming Washington, D.C.
Workshops on Best Practices
Similar
Workshops to be Held in New York, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, and Chicago
The Federal Trade
Commission today provided additional details on a series
of upcoming public workshops regarding "Merger
Investigation Best Practices" that will be held at FTC
Headquarters, Room 332, in Washington, D.C., on June 3,
June 27, and July 10, 2002. Two of the three D.C.
workshops, focusing on general best practices and
accounting and financial data, will be moderated by the
FTC's Competition Director, Joseph Simons. The third
session, focusing on electronic records, will be hosted by
a panel of FTC staff members. All sessions are open to all
interested parties, with no pre-registration required.
Additional general sessions on best practices will be held
in
New York,
Los Angeles,
San Francisco, and
Chicago in
June, and information about these workshops is available
at
www.ftc.gov. Anyone wishing to submit written
comments in advance of the sessions may do so at
bestpractices@ftc.gov.
Detailed information on
each of the Washington, D.C. workshops is provided below:
- Workshop on
Electronic Records -
June 3, 2002; 2:00-3:30 pm
This session will focus on
the use and maintenance of electronic records during the
merger investigation process. Topics of interest will
include, but will not be limited to: 1) the use of e-mail
and the associated burdens or costs of production on the
merging parties; 2) the use of data or information from
backup tapes or electronic storage systems and the burden
of production on merging parties; and 3) communications
between the FTC and the merging parties' IT personnel,
such as network administrators. Additional information
will be solicited on search methodologies that parties use
during the merger process, how to address the issue of
upgrades or changes in the information systems of merging
parties, and the production format and printing
capabilities of electronic merger documents. FTC
participants at this session will include D. Bruce
Hoffman, associate director for regions; Dennis F.
Johnson, attorney, Mergers III Division; and Greg Brown,
computer specialist.
- General Session on
Best Practices -
June 27, 2002; 12:00-1:30 pm
The Commission is using
this workshop to solicit input from a broad range of
interest groups including corporate personnel, outside and
in-house attorneys, economists, consumer groups, and
others who have participated in the merger review process.
Specific areas in which the Commission is seeking input
include: the best use of the initial waiting period, the
content and scope of second requests, negotiating
modifications to second requests, the efficiency of the
merger review process, and the time and expense involved
in the process. Accordingly, all interested parties are
invited to attend and offer views and comments on specific
steps the Commission can take to further streamline and
make more efficient any aspect of the merger investigation
process. FTC participants at this session will include
David Scheffman, Director, Bureau of Economics; Michael G.
Cowie, senior litigation counsel; Rhett R. Krulla, deputy
assistant director, Mergers II Division; and Steven K.
Bernstein, deputy assistant director, Mergers I Division.
- Workshop on
Accounting and Financial Data -
July 10, 2002; 2:00-3:30 pm
This session will focus on
special issues concerning the development and maintenance
of accounting or financial data as related to the merger
investigation process. Topics of interest will include,
but will not be limited to: 1) the use of accounting or
financial data for economic analysis and the burden or
costs of production by the merging parties; and 2)
communications between the FTC and personnel at the
merging parties with knowledge about financial accounting
systems, such as controllers. FTC participants at this
session will include Mary T. Coleman, associate director,
Bureau of Economics; Gabriel H. Dagen, acting assistant
director for accounting and financial analysis; and
Elizabeth Schneriov, special assistant to the director,
Bureau of Economics. |