McCormick granted a motion to expedite the proceedings, even though it’s unclear when the Skydance-Paramount will get the regulatory greenlight. It is currently before the FCC, on day 111 of a 180-day “shot clock” for agency review, although that timeline is not set in stone.

The biggest question for Judge McCormick, according to University of Pennsylvania Business Law School Professor Jill Fisch, is whether the largely unknown Prospect Rise Partners is a legitimate

A Delaware judge on Thursday declined to issue an order to temporarily halt the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. But in the ruling, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick agreed to set a “break-neck pace” for an investor suit that seeks to block the deal in favor of a competing bid from Project Rise Partners.

A judge in Delaware Chancery Court denied a request on Thursday by Paramount Global shareholders to issue a temporary restraining order against the company's potential merger with Skydance Media but has agreed to expedite the shareholders' lawsuit so it is completed before FCC review of the merger is completed.

A U.S. judge in Delaware is willing to consider allegations brought against Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) (NASDAQ:PARAA) in a lawsuit that says the media conglomerate's $8B sale to David Ellison's Skydance Media should be blocked from closing because it short-changes public shareholders,