British publisher Robert Maxwell ended his campaign...

British publisher Robert Maxwell ended his campaign to acquire Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and announced that he was dropping all litigation efforts designed to overturn the book firm’s restructuring. The $2.9-billion restructuring, which Harcourt launched in May and which quickly forced Maxwell to withdraw his offer, was followed by numerous legal attempts by Maxwell’s British Printing & Communication Corp. to have the restructuring ruled illegal. However, late last week a federal judge refused to block a special $40-a-share cash dividend to be paid to Harcourt shareholders as a key part of the restructuring and a request for an expedited hearing to appeal the decision was denied Monday by a U.S. appeals court.