But our average annual litigation expense has still been far below that of most technology operating companies.

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With all the litigation, regulatory hearings and the like facing JP Morgan Chase, this maneuver to allow the reduction in litigation expense appears a tad clumsy and questionable.

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Insurers can and do sue to recover for accidents, he says, but given the expense of litigation they tend to focus more on safety campaigns, like the signs at most ski resorts urging helmets.

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To be sure, we are plagued by a new species of patent litigant these days, the so-called patent troll, who buys up questionable patents in hopes of extracting payments from deep-pocketed companies eager to avoid the expense of litigation.

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But there is no waiver that protects against the possibility of a lawsuit and its various forms of prayed relief or the public relations nightmares and expense of related litigation.

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The purpose of this exhaustion requirement is to provide an avenue to address these employment disputes more quickly, and with far less expense, than private litigation can achieve.

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"Bank of America denies the allegations and is entering into this settlement to eliminate the uncertainties, burden and expense of further protracted litigation, " it said in a statement.

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The ECB urged banks to make "adequate provisions" against nonperforming assets "as well as any other foreseeable expense, " such as litigation costs.

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