Time Warner stopped streaming Viacom shows in March 2011, after Viacom claimed that its licensing agreement didn't allow Time Warner subscribers to watch Viacom programs through broadband transmissions. The settlement allows that streaming to resume, for now at least.

If you're a litigator who does a lot of consumer defense work in California, you might think about writing a thank-you note to Mark Robinson, Jr., senior partner at Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson. On Monday he won a ruling from the California Supreme Court that will likely ensure you stay busy for the foreseeable future. In a 4-to-3 decision, the court held that Proposition 64, which is designed to curb frivolous consumer lawsuits, does not bar a class action against tobacco companies alleging they misled California smokers through deceptive advertising.

A federal judge in New Orleans has accepted BP's $4 billion criminal plea agreement over its role in the catastrophic 2010 oil spill that fouled the Gulf of Mexico. But BP's lawyers still have plenty of work to do managing the company's massive liabilities over the disaster.