Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

Visa and MasterCard announced a proposed $6.6 billion settlement to a long-running dispute over the fees they charge merchants, but a growing number of voices are saying not so fast.

For months, the debate over healthcare has almost exclusively focused on the individual-mandate, as we waited on the Supreme Court to determine the fate of the law. As a result many complex and crucial pieces of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), such as the employer-mandate, have received comparatively little attention. Given the enormous implications of changes to employer-sponsored coverage and the 170 million Americans who currently rely on it for coverage, it is time that more attention is paid to the issue.

The July 13 settlement of a lawsuit over allegedly fixed credit card interchange fees is a credit positive for the two largest industry players Visa and Mastercard, but will have a smaller impact on merchant acquirers, retailers and banks, said  Moody’s Investors Service in a new special comment "Credit Card Interchange Fee Settlement is Credit Positive For Visa, MasterCard."

New York -- A judge in Delaware on Monday denied requests from the California State Teachers Retirement System and a group of New York City pension funds to seek appointments of lead plaintiff and lead counsel in a consolidated shareholder lawsuit over allegations of bribery involving Wal-Mart Stores’ operations in Mexico, the Associated Press reported.

NEW YORK — TLB Merger Sun, an affiliate of Sycamore Partners, has extended the expiration of its tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock, and the associated stock purchase rights, of The Talbots Inc. for $2.75 per share, net to the seller in cash, without interest, and less any applicable withholding taxes, to 5 p.m., New York City time, on Friday, July 27, unless further extended.

New York -- Macy's on Friday won a preliminary injunction against Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia that would prevent it from selling some of its products at the chain.

Macy's Inc. sued Martha Stewart Living in January after J.C. Penney acquired a 16.6% stake in Martha Stewart Living and announced plans in December to open Martha Stewart mini-shops beginning next year. Macy’s said that it had exclusive rights to certain categories of the Martha Stewart brand until 2018.

By David Asselin, [email protected]

Visa and MasterCard on Friday announced a proposed $6.6 billion settlement to a long-running dispute over the fees they charge merchants, but one major trade group was clearly annoyed at the prospect.