02-2114. Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification Rules

Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a, as added by Title II of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, requires persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions to give the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General advance notice and to wait designated periods before consummation of such plans. Section 7A(b)(2) of the Act permits the agencies, in individual cases, to terminate this waiting period prior to its expiration and requires that notice of this action be published in the Federal Register.

The following transactions were granted early termination of the waiting period provided by law and the premerger notification rules. The grants were made by the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Neither agency intends to take any action with respect to these proposed acquisitions during the applicable waiting period.

Trans #	Acquiring	Acquired	Entities
TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—01/07/2002
20020227	Jean Coutu	Albertson's Inc	Albertson's Inc.
20020245	R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc	Sante Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc	Sante Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc.
20020256	Tellabs, Inc	Ocular Networks, Inc	Ocular Networks, Inc.
20020258	Biovail Corporation	Solvay S.A	Solvay Pharmaceuticals Marketing and Licensing AG.
TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—01/09/2002
20012259	Philip F. Anschutz	Regal Cinemas, Inc	Regal Cinemas, Inc.
20012260	OCM Principal Opportunities Fund II, L.P	Regal Cinemas, Inc	Regal Cinemas, Inc.
20020272	Mars Inc	BNP Paribas	Royal Canin SA.
20020280	Level 3 Communications, Inc	McLeodUSA Incorporated	McLeonUSA Information Services, Inc.
			McLeonUSA Purchasing L.L.C.
			McLeonUSA Telecommunications Services, Inc.
20020281	Arthur L. Allen	Landmark Systems Corporation	Landmark Systems Corporation.
20020292	VeriSign, Inc	LiveWire Systems, L.L.C	LiveWire Corporation.
20020293	LiveWire Systems, L.L.C	VeriSign, Inc	VeriSign, Inc.
20020296	D&E Communications, Inc	Conestoga Enterprises, Inc	Conestoga Enterprises, Inc.
20020300	Greenwich Street Capital Partners, II, L.P	Moore Corporation Limited	Moore Corporation Limited.
TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—01/14/2002
20020266	Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc	COR Therapeutics, Inc	COR Therapeutics, Inc.
20020273	Lattice Semiconductor Corporation	Lucent Technologies, Inc	Agere Systems, Inc.
20020277	Vivendi Universal, S.A	Charles W. Ergen	EchoStar Communications Corporation.
20020288	General Electric Company	Berwind LLC	Interlogix, Inc.
20020301	CSG Systems International, Inc	Lucent Technologies Inc	Lucent Technologies Inc.
20020303	Capital Z Partners, Ltd	PXRE Group Ltd	PXRE Group Ltd.
20020307	General Electric Company	Security Capital Group Incorporated	Security Capital Group Incorporated.
20020308	Pharmaceutical Resources, Inc	Samuel J. Heyman	ISP Chemicals Inc.
			ISP Hungary Holdings Ltd.
			ISP Investments Inc.
			ISP Technologies Inc.
20020309	Washington Mutual, Inc	National Australia Bank Limited	CFC, Inc.
			HMC Financial, Inc.
			Homeside Funding Corporation.
			Homeside International, Inc.
			Homeside Lending, Inc.
			Homeside Solutions, Inc.
			HSL Realty Tax Services Corporation.
			SWD Properties, Inc.
20020311	Advent Software, Inc	Kinexus Corporation	Kinexus Corporation.
20020313	The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc	Thomas F. McGowan	Hilary, L.L.C.
			TFM Investment Group.
TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—01/16/2002
20020289	NEC Corporation	Tokin Corporation	Tokin Corporation.
20020304	Danaher Corporation	Marconi plc	Marconi Commerce Systems Limited.
			Marconi commerce Systems, Inc.
20020305	Ralcorp Holdings, Inc	David L. & DeAnn R. Stone	Lofthouse Foods Incorporated.
TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—01/18/2002
20020200	General Electric Company	Donald E. Bently	Bently Nevada Corporation.
20020350	Verizon Communications Inc	Verizon Communications Inc	Telecommunications de Puerto Rico, Inc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sandra M. Peay or Chandra L, Kennedy, Contact Representative, Federal Trade Commission, Premerger Notification Office, Bureau of Competition, Room 303, Washington, DC 20580, [phone].

By Direction of the Commission.

Donald S. Clark,

Secretary.