As chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Banking Committee in the mid-1990s, Giuffra helped draft the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and hobble stock-drop suits. Since the financial crisis the PSLRA has gotten a vigorous workout; last Friday it gave Giuffra the ammunition he needed to knock out what remained of a class action against UBS over more than $100 billion in losses.

A jury might really sink its teeth into Norex Petroleum's claims against a collection of Russian billionaires and oil companies. But unfortunately for Norex, over the span of 10 years Pell has led the way in convincing three different courts in Manhattan to dismiss the case without ever reaching the merits.

The SEC nominee and her husband have amassed assets of at least $16 million, according to a financial disclosure form filed by the Debevoise & Plimpton partner. White also revealed that her husband, John White, plans to convert from equity to nonequity status at Cravath, Swaine & Moore upon her confirmation.

Barclays stood to earn double fees as the financial adviser to Del Monte and the source of financing for the private equity consortium that planned to buy the company. But there were a few things that the bank neglected to tell Del Monte's board along the way--and Vice-Chancellor Laster had a problem with that.

Bank of America announced Monday that it will pay $1.6 billion to the bond insurer MBIA Inc., bringing an end to one of the most vigorously contested disputes to grow out of the mortgage crisis.