Staples-Office Depot Merger in Hands of Judge

The U.S. lawsuit to block Staples Inc. from buying Office Depot Inc. now rests with a judge who's undercut the government's case throughout the trial. During final arguments Tuesday by the companies and the Federal Trade Commission, District Judge Emmet Sullivan needled the government about why its economic expert completed his analysis about the scope of the market only after the agency filed its complaint. It would have been more logical if the expert had come to his conclusions earlier, the judge said.