The measure would affect only state suits that end up in Federal court because they involve two states and the damages sought exceed $10,000.

The damages sought in lawsuits are often just figures pulled out of the air by the lawyer with no input from the clients.

If gross discrepancies are discovered after the sale there could be actions for either misrepresentation or fraud, and damages sought.

The Government did not specify how much the damages sought might total, but one official said they were in the millions.

He said he had not yet determined what financial damages to seek.

So far, 16 people have been sentenced to jail, and fines and damages sought by the Justice Department total $21 million.

The junk bond losses total $2 billion, but the damages sought could be tripled to $6 billion under racketeering and antitrust laws.

The case against the Japanese government is still pending, and the number of plaintiffs has grown to about 5,900 and the damages sought to $75 million.

Thus, the greater the damages sought, the higher the fee to file.

The damages sought in the current lawsuits far exceed the typical directors' and officers' insurance coverage of $10 million to $100 million an executive.