As some of us expected BP have finally sued Halliburton for a few gazillion, alleging fraud, misconduct, errors and ommissions and being mean to small children (probably).
Anyone who bothered to read between the lines and not just listen to Barak abuse Tony Hayward knew that Halliburtin would be knee deep in at least some of the fault...you cannot be the primary contractor on the rig and have all those people involved and not be at all to blame.
Who knows how long it will take to sort out this one...but there is a deeper question for business leaders than who wins in court.
BP's strategy was - and this is my term not theirs - "openly noble, putting solution ahead of finger-pointing!
At the time, their reluctance to point fingers while they were sorting out the mess and finding out the facts left them clearly in the firing line. Of course Barak's outrageous xenophobia was a factor too. But basically the only one being screamed at was Tony Hayward.
Cost Tony his job too.
So will they end up vindicated? And will the strategy be seen as clever?
Obviously not by stockholders who sold below £4 while BP kept schtumm...
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