W.R. Grace and five former executives are accused of exposing thousands of people to deadly asbestos particles via Grace's mining operations near Libby, Montana. Can Kirkland's David Bernick successfully defend the company from what's been called the most significant criminal case ever filed against a polluter?

Plaintiffs in the "no poach" litigation against tech behemoths including Google Inc. and Apple Inc. suffered a setback Friday when they lost their bid for class certification.

In two separate rulings this week, federal district court judges in North Carolina called a halt to federal suits blaming Blackwater for the deaths of employees and civilians in Iraq. Plaintiffs lawyers in the two cases, however, had very different reactions to the rulings.

Lead counsel from Grant & Eisenhofer and Bernstein Litowitz say the request amounts to a 22 percent discount on their hourly fees in the five-year-old case.

Plaintiffs lawyers at Wolf Haldenstein worked quickly to undo the damage after a San Francisco federal judge ruled last year that iPhone customers must arbitrate antitrust claims against Apple and AT&T Mobility. But it's looking increasingly unlikely that they'll be able to salvage the five-year-old case.

Chancellor Chandler was certainly familiar with Dow's off-again, on-again acquisition of Rohm & Haas: He oversaw last year's litigation between the two companies. Shareholders alleged Dow insiders botched the deal. Chandler disagreed.