Stoneridge investors had argued that Motorola (nyse: MOT - news - people ) and Scientific-Atlanta should be held liable in a complex "scheme to defraud" investors because of an agreement they had with Charter Communications (nasdaq: CHTR - news - people ), a cable company.

FORBES: Stoneridge And The Court

Bank of America 's ( BAC - news - people ) Merrill Lynch, which also got caught up in the scheme, according to court documents filed by the federal government.

FORBES: ABB Entangled In Corruption Case

The kickback scheme triggered a short-lived tsunami of stories in local and national news media.

FORBES: New York's Electricity Crisis Started Before Sandy

The suit, filed in February, accuses the big banks of participating in a "massive" scheme to manipulate Overstock.com (nasdaq: OSTK - news - people ) shares by allowing naked short selling, in which a trader doesn't properly borrow stocks before selling them short.

FORBES: Naked Shorting Case Gains Traction