WASHINGTON-The federal judge who presided over the break-up of AT&T Corp. in 1984 died Jan. 29 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
U.S. District Judge Harold Greene, who was 76, was highly regarded for his legal skills, evenhandedness and gentle demeanor.
But in the years immediately following the AT&T divesiture, which created seven Baby Bells and limited them to offering local landline and wireless services, Greene came under harsh criticism by some in industry and Congress for not letting Bells into lines of business prohibited by AT&T’s antitrust settlement with the Justice Department.
But Greene always maintained he never felt any political pressure, just the obligation to follow the law.
