Nathan Hardwick IV, the former managing partner of Morris Hardwick Schneider, has been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements in connection with his alleged embezzlement of more than $20 million from the residential real estate closing firm's escrow and operating accounts, and those of its affiliated title agency, LandCastle Title.

Profits per partner were up nearly 11 percent at the firm, which also saw a healthy increase in revenues.

Complaint says firm charged higher hourly fees than it had agreed to when it undertook the defense of a white collar case.

Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates set tongues wagging in the tech world and beyond on Monday when he seemingly broke rank with the company he created as well as most of Silicon Valley on a major digital privacy issue.

During arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases on willful infringement, Justice Stephen Breyer fretted that easing the standard could advantage large companies such as Google or Yahoo.