Judge Overseeing AT&T/Deutsche Telekom vs Department of Justice Case Orders Settlement Talks for September 21st
A judge in the United States District Court in Washington, D.C. has been assigned to the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against AT&T and Deutsche Telekom that they hope will block the approval of a $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile. The judge presiding the case is Ellen Segal Huvelle.
Judge Huvelle has gotten the ball rolling on the proceedings. She first ordered that all three parties involved – DT, AT&T and the DoJ – get a schedule for the lawsuit proceedings and a plan for managing the case in order by September 16th.
Shortly after that, on September 21st, the three parties will have to discuss prospects for a possible settlement, something AT&T’s probably relieved to hear. This action was likely taken as a response to officials in late August who said that there is room for negotiation in approving the sale of T-Mobile and AT&T to Deutsche Telekom, and that’s what they’ll be in the wooden room to do.
So there’s another ray of light for AT&T for the time being, though there is no telling how these settlement discussions will impact an actual decision going forward. [New York Times]