"We had to move before it closed the deal. SAP has a substantial lead in the market and we need to close the gap and get there much more quickly," explained Phillips. The complex power struggle that followed has seen Oracle increase its share offer while JD Edwards set about suing Oracle, claiming that it has illegally interfered in its proposed merger with PeopleSoft. In turn, PeopleSoft's CEO, Craig Conway, rejected Oracle's offer, claiming it was "a transparent attempt to disrupt the acquisition of JD Edwards by PeopleSoft". PeopleSoft has also claimed the proposed buyout is anti-competitive and contravenes US antitrust laws. "We think there are plenty of competitors out there," argued Phillips. "SAP is still gaining over us and PeopleSoft. Even if you combined the companies, there would still be a significant gap. And Microsoft is increasingly coming into the space." He went on to make the converse argument: "It increases rather than decreases competitiveness. It gives SAP a run for their money!"