Late yesterday...an appeals court in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, upheld an $18 billion fine against Chevron—the largest judgment ever awarded in an environmental lawsuit. Chevron condemned the ruling...The company’s objections notwithstanding, this decision may initiate an end-game in the case. The most likely outcome is a settlement. In fact, according to a source close to the case, this fall Chevron’s general counsel, R. Hewitt Pate, initiated a secret meeting in San Francisco with John Keker, an attorney who represents Donziger, to explore the possibility of settling...