MICA loses round in takeover battle

Medical Imaging Centers of America earlier this month lost a roundin its battle to prevent a group of shareholders from taking overthe San Diego company (SCAN 1/17/95). A U.S. District Court magistraterejected MICA's request for expedited discovery in its lawsuitagainst Steel Partners II of New York City. The ruling preventsMICA from serving Steel Partners with requests for discovery untila judge hears the group's motion to dismiss MICA's lawsuit, accordingto Daniel Burch, a Steel Partners spokesperson.

The ruling was related only to discovery and does not affectthe merits of MICA's lawsuit against Steel Partners, accordingto MICA. The company's request for an injunction barring SteelPartners' takeover effort will take place Feb. 20, six days beforea shareholder meeting that Steel Partners has called to removeMICA's board. A motion by Steel Partners to dismiss MICA's lawsuitwill also take place Feb. 20.

One member of MICA's board stepped down this month in a moverelated to the takeover battle. The member, Keene Wolcott, saidhe did not agree with MICA's decision to sue Steel Partners orthe company's poison pill defense.