Business Services

November 7, 2007 - Visa agreed to pay $2.1 billion to American Express to settle damages related to a 2004 antitrust lawsuit; claimed that Visa and MasterCard barred member banks from offering their customers credit cards which could be used on rival payment networks, in violation of antitrust law; believed to be largest amount ever paid to resolve antitrust violation.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Biggest of All Time (as of 2005)

1. Vodafone AirTouch acquired Mannesmann (November 14, 1999) for $179.86 billion
2. America Online acquired Time Warner (January 10, 2000) for $164.75 billion
3. Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert (November 4, 1999) for $89.17 billion
4. Exxon acquired Mobil (December 1, 1998) for $78.95 billion
5. Glaxo Wellcome acquired SmithKline Beecham (January 17, 2000) for $75.96 billion
6. Royal Dutch Petroleum acquired Shell Transport & Trading (Oct. 28, 2004) for $74.35 bill.
7. Travelers Group acquired Citicorp (April 6, 1998) for $72.56 billion
8. SBC Communications acquired Ameritech (May 11, 1998) for $62.59 billion
9. NationsBank acquired BankAmerica (April 13, 1998) for $61.63 billion
10. Vodafone Group acquired AirTouch Communications (Jan. 18, 1999) for $60.29 billion