Benton County News Now: U.S. Seeks 14-Day Court Injunction After Booz Merger Loss

Friday 14 October 2022

U.S. Seeks 14-Day Court Injunction After Booz Merger Loss – Reuters

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department asked a court on Friday for a 14-day injunction while it considers whether to appeal its loss in attempting to stop Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH.N) from buying EverWatch Corp.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake in Maryland ruled on Tuesday that the deal could go forward.

The Justice Department argued in its brief that Booz and EverWatch are the only two companies who submitted bids for a multi-year, $150 million contract for the National Security Agency called “Optimal Decision,” which deals with simulations and signals intelligence. If the companies merge, the department argued, competition for the contract is eliminated.

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“We will promptly notify the Court if the United States decides not to appeal so that the injunction can then be dissolved,” the department said in a court filing.

Booz Allen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In recent years, the agencies challenged very few deals and won the majority of the challenges. The last few months have been different – with the Federal Trade Commission losing one merger challenge and the Justice Department losing three.