ABSTRACT
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) refer to financial transactions which result in the consolidation of companies or assets. Some of these transactions, which involve at least two companies, include cases where one company totally or partially acquires the assets of another, or where one company combines its assets with that of another to form a new enterprise. After providing a brief overview of some of the generic reasons as to why companies undertake M&A, this chapter will primarily look at international or cross-border M&A and focuses the discussion by examining several case studies on where, when, and how government leaders have intervened in stalling or rejecting what are essentially private business transactions for purposes that have more to do with promoting national interests in line with their view of the condition of international relations than with protecting competition or consumer welfare. Examples will also be given of cases where governments have encouraged domestic M&A at what may arguably be the expense of protecting consumer welfare and competition.
