Mergers and acquisitions in the tech space have become a critical issue for regulators worldwide. Agencies probably feel that they have underenforced the law in the past. In an interview, Matthew Readings, global antitrust chair at Shearman & Sterling, told PYMNTS that agencies might be using their toolkit of powers to prevent the next big tech incumbent from developing under their watch.

Whether this is a good thing remains to be seen, but doing M&A deals will be much harder, Readings argued.

M&A is essential not only for big firms but also for startups, which may have an exit strategy or even have a reason to innovate in the first place, hoping to exit the market through an acquisition. “If you’re a startup, then often you can only take it so far. Partnering, collaborating, being bought by an established company can provide the investment, the expertise to take it to the next level.”

Read the full article regarding this interview HERE.