Thirty-four U.S. and foreign companies on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to step in and stop any further action in lower courts on a massive case accusing them of assisting the policy of apartheid formerly pursued in South Africa... The case...seeks damages upwards of $400 billion. The Second Circuit Court in a ruling on Oct. 12 has allowed the case to move forward. The new appeal to the Justices suggests that there is “certain to be years of additional litigation” following the Second Circuit decision... [The] filing appears now to have come too late for final action before the Court recesses for the summer — unless it is expedited to an unusual degree.