Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 of its 1,000 employees in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. But American Airlines, whose plane was flown into the tower that housed Cantor's office, had no duty to Cantor to protect its employees. So the financial firm can't claim damages stemming from business relationships it lost when its people died.

Christian Louboutin's trademark battle with Yves Saint Laurent over red-soled shoes was one of those rare cases that managed to capture the attention of both IP litigators and the fashion set. Now it may finally be over.