Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Basil Hume, had written to him supporting the redrafted clause, after having taken legal advice, said Mr Straw.

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As further evidence of Ergen's shrewdness, Merrill Lynch's Jayant notes that Ergen got away without having to adhere to the breakup clause that required him to buy Hughes' 81% stake in satellite wholesaler PanAmSat (nasdaq: SPOT - news - people ), in the event the deal didn't go through.

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In fact, it sold well despite the bond not having a "step-up" clause, meaning the coupon is fixed permanently, a structure that is considered favorable to the issuer.

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Having held that the individual insurance requirement was unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, the fate of Obamacare rested on whether the mandate could be imposed as part of the taxing powers afforded to Congress.

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Pierce pounced within 24 hours, interrupting discussions the target was having with another potential acquirer, and stopped the company from signing a no-shop clause.

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