FTC Administrative Proceedings Timeline

Summary

This checklist is a timeline that lays out important deadlines and timing involved in a proceeding that takes place pursuant to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) internal administrative adjudicative procedures. The FTC has exclusive authority to enforce Section 5 of the FTC Act, 14 U.S.C. § 45, which prohibits unfair methods of competition. The FTC may seek preliminary injunctive relief in federal court for incipient violations of the FTC Act, but may also seek final relief in its own internal administrative proceedings. The FTC has promulgated rules that govern these administrative proceedings, similar to how the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure govern procedure in federal district court, in Part 3 of the FTC Rules of Practice, located in Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Note that this timeline applies to both merger and non-merger cases.