Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission announced higher thresholds for premerger filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act as well updated fees to submit an HSR filing. These thresholds increase the minimum value of transactions that must be notified under the HSR Act to $133.9 million. The new thresholds will go into effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) recently revised its Provisions on Prohibiting Monopoly Agreements (禁止垄断协议规定) to specify when vertical agreements will be presumed legal under the Chinese Anti-Monopoly Law’s safe harbor provision (the Safe Harbor). This revision, which will take effect on February 1, 2026, provides specific Safe Harbor criteria that distinguish between agreements to fix resale prices or set minimum resale price (i.e., RPM agreements) and all other vertical agreements.

New California employment statutes include significant changes that will reshape employment agreements, pay equity compliance, notice practices, data governance, and leave administration. Below we summarize the statutes most likely to affect multi-state and California employers beginning January 1, 2026, highlight near-term implementation steps, and flag forward-looking changes coming in 2027 and beyond.