AVGO · News · 20260803N

Regulatory Risk - EU Antitrust

Broadcom Inc. · 2026-08-03 · Importance 37 · Surprise 42

The European General Court rejected Broadcom’s request to suspend a European Commission demand for U.S.-based legal documents concerning its 2023 VMware acquisition. The court held that the Commission may determine which documents are necessary for its antitrust investigation and that Broadcom cannot rely solely on U.S. attorney-client privilege to withhold them. The ruling allows regulators to continue examining VMware licensing practices following Broadcom’s takeover and increases Broadcom’s regulatory and legal exposure in the European Union.

Key facts

• Broadcom's attempt to suspend an EU antitrust request for US legal documents has been rejected by Europe's General Court. source
• A European Union court has rejected Broadcom's request to temporarily halt an EU antitrust demand for legal documents located in the United States, a ruling described as a setback as regulators investigate issues related to VMware, a company Broadcom acquired in 2023. source
• The EU competition enforcer sought documents related to Broadcom's 2023 acquisition of VMware, which Broadcom argued were protected by US attorney-client privilege. source