: The Federal Trade Commission today finalized a consent order that resolves antitrust concerns surrounding Chevron Corporation’s acquisition of oil producer Hess Corporation. The final consent order settles charges brought by the FTC in September 2024 . Under the final consent order , Chevron is prohibited from nominating, designating, or appointing Hess CEO John B. Hess to the Chevron Board. Additionally, with certain exceptions noted below, under the final consent order, Chevron is prohibited from allowing John Hess to serve in an advisory or consulting capacity to, or as a representative of, Chevron or the Chevron Board. Under the final order, Chevron is allowed to consult with John Hess and allow him to serve as an advisor, consultant, or representative of Chevron, solely related to interactions and discussions with (a) Guyanese government officials about Hess’s oil-related and health ministry-related activities in Guyana, and (b) the Salk Institute’s Harnessing Plants Initiative. Following a public comme[...]
: Today, the Federal Trade Commission reopened and set aside the final consent order involving Chevron Corporation’s proposed acquisition of Hess Corporation. The January 2025 final consent order prohibited Chevron from nominating, designating, or appointing Hess CEO John B. Hess Chevron’s board of directors. The FTC’s complaint alleged that Mr. Hess made “supportive messaging” to representatives of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) regarding their agenda to stabilize the oil market. The complaint alleged that Mr. Hess’s participation on Chevron’s board would amplify Mr. Hess’s messaging to OPEC and others, increasing the likelihood that Chevron would align its production with OPEC’s output decisions. When the settlement was published in September 2024, now-Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson and Commissioner Melissa Holyoak dissented. However, just days before President Trump’s inauguration, the outgoing majority approved the final consent order , again over the dissent of now-Chairman Ferg[...]
: The Federal Trade Commission denied a request filed by Scott Sheffield, the founder and former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, to reopen and set aside a final consent order involving Exxon Mobil Corporation’s acquisition of Pioneer. Sheffield’s petition to reopen and set aside the final order in its entirety must be denied because Sheffield is not a party to the final order and therefore cannot make use of the petition process, as defined by the FTC’s Rules of Practice, specifically Rule 2.51. The FTC’s final consent order, issued in January 2025, prohibits Exxon from nominating, designating, or appointing Sheffield to the Exxon board of directors or from having him serve in an advisory capacity in any way to the Exxon board or Exxon’s management. In addition, the final consent order requires that for a period of five years, Exxon shall not nominate, designate, or appoint any Pioneer employee or director, other than certain named individuals, to the Exxon board. The final consent order resolved an FTC c[...]
: Brussels, 23 March - On 17 March 2026, the EDPB conference “Cross-regulatory interplay and cooperation in the EU: a data protection perspective” took place in Brussels. The event showcased high-level discussions, featuring contributions from representatives of key EU institutions, European Data Protection Authorities, academia and industry. Key takeaways from the panel discussions Throughout the day, three panels were held, focusing on 1) data protection and competition , 2) the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the GDPR , and 3) the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the GDPR . During the first panel , speakers emphasised the critical need for cooperation between regulatory bodies in the fields of data protection and competition and shared views on what regulators in the two fields can learn from each other, especially in the aftermath of the Bundeskartellamt ruling. A speaker emphasized that regulators should align their approaches and recognize synergies between the two fields, such as protecting consumers and [...]