DOJ Balks at Visa Request to Move Up Trial in Plaid Merger Case

A request from Visa Inc. and Plaid Inc. to speed up the start of trial in the Justice Department’s antitrust case over their $5.3 billion merger is “infeasible,” the DOJ said.

DOJ attorneys instead told the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Nov. 20 that the merger trial should start Sept. 7, 2021. Visa and Plaid are seeking a Feb. 23, 2021, trial start date.

Visa and Plaid’s “schedule is significantly faster than schedules adopted in the vast majority of merger cases—cases that involved fewer legal claims in less complex industries and did not occur during a ...