Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

The ministers of economic development, trade and industry and agriculture, forestry and fisheries in South Africa are protesting the nation’s Competition Tribunal’s approval of a merger agreement between Walmart and Massmart. The three government entities are seeking to set aside a ruling that allowed Walmart to acquire a 51% ownership stake in Massmart last month on the grounds that the tribunal acted irregularly with regard to matters of documents presented during the discovery process and the scheduling of decisions.

When the Supreme Court ruled that a sex discrimination case against Walmart wasn’t worth of class action status that was supposed to end things. Wrong.

New York City -- Borders Group said objections from creditors are irrelevant because the company’s liquidation means it will not carry on any contracts with business partners, Bloomberg reported.

Borders is due to seek court approval Thursday to liquidate its 399 remaining stores. The approximate 99 objections from creditors should be overruled, the company said in court papers, as it does not plan to keep or transfer any contracts or leases, the report said.
 

Providence, R.I. -- An Associated Press report on Tuesday said that CVS Caremark Corp. has resolved a complaint over a pre-hiring questionnaire that could discriminate against those with certain mental conditions.

According to the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the complaint was settled voluntarily.

Cape Town, South Africa -- A Tuesday report by Bloomberg said that South Africa’s parliament will let anti-trust regulators decide what conditions to impose on Wal-Mart Stores in its acquisition of Massmart Holdings Ltd.

The Competition Tribunal ruled on May 31 that Wal-Mart could proceed with its $2.4 billion purchase of a controlling stake in Johannesburg-based wholesaler Massmart on condition no jobs are cut for two years.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Borders Group, which had been holding out hope that a buyer would come forward to save the company, said late Monday it will seek court approval Thursday for a liquidation led by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Group.

The bookseller said that, with approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York, it could begin shuttering its 399 remaining stores as early as Friday, and it is expected to go out of business for good by the end of September.

New York — John Haugh announced that he plans to retire as president of Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., effective July 22, according to a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A successor has not yet been named.

New York -- Borders Group inched closer to liquidation after a 5 p.m. Sunday deadline passed and no bidders emerged to keep the bankrupt chain in business. 

Late last week, investor Najafi Cos. decided to drop out of an effort to keep Borders' remaining 400 stores open.