Regulatory roundup
After a string of delays, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has delivered its decision on HMV Group’s pending acquisition of Ottakar’s. Clifford Chance had a small win after the OFT referred the merger of bookstore chains Waterstone’s and Ottakar’s to the Competition Commission last week. HMV Group, which owns rival bookstore chain Waterstone’s, made a formal £96.4m takeover bid for Ottakar’s in September.