Slater’s Antitrust Vision: Mergers, Big Tech, and Enforcement Strategy
During her February 12 confirmation hearing, Slater fielded questions from lawmakers about her approach to antitrust enforcement, including how her policies might differ from previous DOJ leadership.
Balancing Tough Enforcement with Pragmatic Settlements
Slater expressed support for strong enforcement against anticompetitive practices but hinted at a shift in strategy regarding merger settlements.
“I expect we may take a different approach than the prior Antitrust Division on settlements in merger cases where effective and robust structural remedies can be implemented without excessively burdening the Antitrust Division’s resources,” she noted.
She also committed to working with Congress on implementing the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, which raised filing fees for larger mergers to increase oversight.
Big Tech Under the Microscope
With the DOJ currently engaged in high-stakes antitrust battles against Google and Apple, Slater was pressed on whether she would aggressively pursue tech giants.
While she noted she was not yet familiar with the specifics of ongoing cases, Slater assured senators she would “read into” all open matters and bring a “deep understanding of technology markets” to her role.
