With so-called clawback suits, Picard has also started to sue Madoff victims who took out more from the Madoff Ponzi scheme than they put in.

FORBES: Madoff Trustee Sues JPMorgan Chase For $6.4 billion

In a controversial move that Picard has long advertised, Picard has also recently started to sue tens of individual Madoff investors in so called-clawback suits, alleging these investors took out more from the Madoff Ponzi scheme than they put in.

FORBES: Madoff Trustee Sues HSBC And Others For $9 Billion In Biggest Madoff Suit

Pagon refused to renegotiate terms, so DirecTV started selling the premium channels to Pegasus' customers directly, causing the NRTC to sue DirecTV for interfering with the NRTC's contract.

FORBES: Rupert's Next Problem

The gates started to swing open in the 1960s, when courts in California allowed disgruntled beneficiaries to sue lawyers for making mistakes in a will, overriding the longstanding rule against suits by nonclients (perhaps because in this case the client was underground).

FORBES: Getting Theirs