Justice Talks With Rivals, Clients of Yahoo, Google

Justice Department staff reviewing Google Inc.'s online-advertising deal with Yahoo Inc. met this week with customers and competitors and scheduled a final round of meetings with the two companies next week, amid signs the government may be preparing to recommend an antitrust challenge to the deal. Thomas Barnett, assistant attorney general for antitrust, hasn't made a final decision and still could allow the deal to proceed. But he recently hired a special counsel, the veteran litigator and former Walt Disney Co. Vice Chairman Sanford Litvack. Litvack has been asked to review evidence and build a case if a decision is made to challenge the deal.