Deutsche Bank and Citigroup have agreed to pay — $145 million and $20.5 million, respectively — rather than join the National Credit Union Administration’s litigation hit list. The NCUA said it will apply the settlements to $3.3 billion in charges related to credit union failures during the financial crisis.

An imposing new obstacle is getting in the way of the nation’s personal-injury lawsuits: Medicare, the federal health insurer for the elderly. Lawyers say the program is disrupting a countless number of their settlements.

Members of Congress are still looking for a way to authorize a couple of billion-dollar agreements that would settle litigation involving the federal government and minority groups. The House of Representatives had included authority for the settlements in a bill authorizing supplemental war funding. That bill passed the House July 1

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld summary judgment granted to drug companies sued for violating antitrust laws through so-called “pay-for-delay” patent settlements.

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld summary judgment granted to drug companies sued for violating antitrust laws through so-called “pay-for-delay” patent settlements. But the case is far from over. The 2nd Circuit affirmed the ruling only because it was bound by its own precedent on the issue, and said it was unable to address policy arguments