That didn't take long
Verizon is facing [link to http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060513.RTICKER13-8/TPStory/TPBusiness/America/ no longer works] a $5 billion lawsuit over its alleged law-breaking. The NYT reports today that this suit may actually involve as much as $50 billion in damage. Previously, a $20 billion suit [link to http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1140170720887 no longer works] had been filed regarding the aspects of the NSA program that had become publicly-known in December.
Interestingly enough, when you don’t take into account the downside of engaging in a criminal conspiracy enterprise of questionable legality, it may have ramifications for your shareholders and executives. I wrote about this elsewhere [link to http://www.cwalsh.org/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi/2006/05/11#SOX_surveillance no longer works], but it looks like this angle may have increased relevance here at EC.