T-Mobile-Sprint Deal Runs Into Resistance From DOJ Antitrust Staff

Apparently, the Justice Department antitrust enforcement staff have told T-Mobile and Sprint that their planned merger is unlikely to be approved as currently structured, casting doubt on the fate of the $26 billion deal. In a meeting earlier in April, DOJ staff members laid out their concerns with the all-stock deal and questioned the companies’ arguments that the combination would produce important efficiencies for the merged firm. Reservations voiced by DOJ staff lawyers aren’t necessarily the last word on a merger, as department leadership also will have an opportunity to weigh in and make the final decision.