M&A activity is now regulated in a record 115 jurisdictions worldwide, according to a new survey by an international law firm.

M&A activity is now regulated in a record 115 jurisdictions worldwide, according to a new survey by an international law firm.

The 2009 White & Case survey, Worldwide Merger Notification Requirements, showed that the number of jurisdictions has almost doubled since the equivalent 2004 White & Case survey.

The 115 jurisdictions include a record 110 separate countries with merger control laws as well as regional merger control regimes. The research also reveals that China and India were two newcomers to the roster of active jurisdictions and that Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan and Paraguay are expected to adopt new competition regulations in the near future.

Mark Gidley, head of White & Case’s global Antitrust Practice Group and co-editor of the survey, said: “We have witnessed an explosion in merger regulation across the globe over the past 15 years.

“This mega-trend has been fuelled by globalisation, the rise of the so-called BRIC countries [Brazil, Russia, India and China], outreach efforts by US and EU enforcement officials, and a desire by more and more governments to adopt antitrust laws as a means of regulating commerce.”