Interlocking Directorate

The relationship that exists between the board of directors of one corporation with that of another due to the fact that a number of members sit on both boards and, therefore, there is a substantial likelihood that neither corporation acts independently of the other.

Because the same persons occupy seats on the boards of companies that are supposed to compete in the marketplace, there is a potential for violations of federal antitrust acts, particularly the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C.A. §§ 12-27 [1914]) which prohibits the existence of inter-locking directorates that substantially reduce commercial competition.