Hayes Lemmerz/Iochpe-Maxion Merger

Janusz Ordover, Jith Jayaratne, and Yair Eilat, supported by a Compass Lexecon team from our Oakland office were retained by Colin Kass and Rhett R. Krulla of Proskauer Rose, and Kenneth B. Schwartz and James A. Keyte of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, to assist in securing FTC approval for a merger between Hayes Lemmerz and Iochpe-Maxion, the top two suppliers of automotive steel wheels in the U.S. Compass Lexecon assisted in formulating arguments that suggested, based on economic theory and industry research, that substitution from other types of wheels and the threat of entry would curb any attempt to raise wheel prices following the merger. These arguments and others were presented to the FTC, which granted early termination.