Yet for all the vast sums involved, no Delaware judge has ever been convicted of corruption.

A Delaware judge will hear arguments next month, but it would seem to be appropriate to bring the owners into this.

In early June the Delaware judge allowed the case to proceed.

But last month, a Delaware judge invalidated about 86,000 votes cast for the incumbents.

All the parties declined to comment on the case, which a Delaware judge threw out last week.

A Delaware judge said Shell Oil must pay $110 million to 1,000 of its former shareholders.

But the Delaware judge who made the ruling chided the board for falling short of the highest standards of conduct.

The reports will be submitted to a Delaware judge, probably within the next month, Ms. Welch said.

By reaching an agreement, the two companies avoided having a Delaware judge resolve the dispute for them.

Macmillan's planned restructuring was temporarily blocked by a Delaware judge.