Chevron is going after the largest law firm to represent the plaintiffs who won a $19 billion environmental pollution judgment against the company in Ecuador. In a motion filed on Friday, Chevron alleges that Patton Boggs tried to cover up evidence that the judgment was the product of bribery and ghostwriting.

The private equity industry enjoys a charmed life, with a business model that involves minimal risk and huge payoffs. But is it possible that PE firms—which have thwarted efforts to rein in their special privileges—might not always get their way?

The plaintiffs lawyers' shareholder suit over last year's leveraged buyout of Del Monte Corporation finally ended Thursday with Del Monte and Barclays agreeing to a combined $89.4 million settlement. But Grant said the case will also have a lasting change on the way big deals are financed.

Gay marriage advocates, hoping for constitutional recognition of their right to wed, encountered a cautious and sometimes skeptical U.S. Supreme Court during arguments Tuesday on California's same-sex marriage ban.