In previous mergers, officials from different Pentagon agencies have sometimes taken conflicting positions on mergers.

Regulators felt that the industry was still reeling from service disruptions caused by previous mergers.

Its new focus will be on determining whether previous mergers have actually benefited patients or simply allowed hospitals to charge more.

"It's war right now," said one former Chemical executive, a veteran of the previous merger.

Many of the companies acquired and consolidated by Misys were themselves products of previous mergers.

However, each of those councils had been formed by previous mergers, as depicted below.

Like the previous merger, the merger with Paillade was ultimately unsuccessful as the club failed to make any progress.

The mistake in previous mergers, he said, was that they were pushed from the top down by managers, directors and investors.

All of GlaxoSmithKline's previous mergers only added to the mess, according to its former scientists.

A previous merger took place in December 2004 between Pinsents and Masons.