The Federal Trade Commission is already taking a different approach to merger investigations, signaling the commission plans to conduct more wide-ranging inquiries under new chair Lina Khan, according to antitrust lawyers.

At a virtual panel discussion focused on navigating the Biden administration’s new antitrust enforcers hosted by Vinson & Elkins, Hill Wellford, the head of the firm’s antitrust government investigations team, said the agency is already approaching M&A investigations differently and giving the commission more latitude to challenge mergers. The discussion also featured Vinson & Elkins partners Alden Atkins and Craig Seebald and counsel Lindsey Vaala.