The plaintiffs in Nicaragua made the same toxic tort claims that were tossed by a California judge who found evidence of a fraud on her court last spring. But the Miami judge's decision not to enforce judgment against Dole and Dow Chemical had to do with serious shortcomings in Nicaragua's courts.

In twin rulings issued on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet in Manhattan dismissed securities fraud claims against financial firms that marketed and managed a $900 million collateralized debt obligation known as Pyxis ABS CDO 2006-1.

It cost a pretty penny to win an acquittal for a major corporation and its former employees in the biggest environmental crimes case ever, according to Bloomberg's take on Grace's regulatory filings. But for Grace, which was facing a $280 million fine and untold fallout from a criminal conviction, it appears to have been money well spent.

On Friday, Weil Gotshal filed Apple's two new smartphone infringement suits against Motorola in response to the two suits Quinn filed for Motorola against Apple earlier this month.