It's almost impossible to exaggerate the obstacles Barclays' lawyers faced in the $13 billion Lehman 'windfall' litigation: claims by three different plaintiffs represented by three powerhouse firms; a judge openly skeptical of the bank's core argument; and a disjointed trial schedule that stretched over six months. Yet in the end the bank prevailed in upholding a deal that helped shape the unfolding of the great recession.

If we keep going at this rate, there soon won't be a prominent securities litigator in New York who's not involved in a suit challenging the bond insurer's restructuring. The banks' suit--the third in as many months against MBIA--is led by Sullivan & Cromwell, but S&C is not alone on the complaint. Not by a long shot.

One of the bank's biggest issues from a securities litigation standpoint will be disclosure. In its most recent SEC quarterly filing, made just last Friday, JPMorgan soothingly assures investors that it takes a "holistic approach" to risk management. Is this consistent with a system where--in Dimon's words--an "egregious" trade happened because it was "poorly monitored" and "poorly reviewed"?

When regulators are forced to defend an outcome as soon as it's announced, and when your client's detractors are fuming with anger, you know you've done something right.

A coalition of technology companies led by Android developer Google Inc. publicly stepped up to back Samsung Electronics at the Federal Circuit.

The courts have largely ground to a halt for the holidays, though there's still time for few more decisions in 2012 that could ensure a happy or gloomy New Year for the litigators involved. In the meantime, here are some of the biggest rulings we're looking forward to in 2013.