Nigerian communities…initiated court action on Wednesday in London against the energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, in a case that may have far-reaching implications for whether companies can be sued in Britain for pollution and damages caused by their activities in other countries…On Wednesday, the claimants won a small victory when a judge ruled that the Nigerian venture could be included in the case, along with its parent company. Daniel Leader, a partner at Leigh Day, said in an interview that the outcome of what are likely to be lengthy proceedings “will set an important precedent as to whether the courts here are going to be willing to hear cases relating to multinational enterprises and their subsidiaries in the developing world.”