Mr. Gaffney provided each bank and fund with a legal memorandum entitled CivilLiability and Criminal Exposure for U.S. Financial Institutions and Businesses engaged in Shariah-Compliant Finance .
Companies that potentially face civil or criminal liability for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have hired a large cast of outside legal help, including former high-level government attorneys and a top product-liability lawyer.
Separate from the class action claims, BP has been locked in a year-long legal battle with the U.S. government and Gulf Coast states to settle billions of dollars in civil and criminal liability from the explosion.