51.   The balance of testimony, and the prominent role of industry lawyers in writing legislation, has drawn criticism.

52.   The documents show cigarette industry lawyers working together for decades to generate research to play down the risks of smoking.

53.   The tobacco industry has made elimination of punitive damages a top goal in the talks, industry lawyers said.

54.   They said that meetings planned for this week between state attorneys general and cigarette industry lawyers had been called off.

55.   To Kaswell, the industry association lawyer, analysts are independent representatives of investors, doing their best to learn what is going on at a company.

56.   Tobacco companies and the lawyers suing them routinely argue over whether documents involving industry lawyers are protected from disclosure.

57.   Tobacco industry lawyers agreed Friday that the slow-moving talks, which have covered five months, had reached a final stage.

58.   Tobacco executives and industry lawyers also declined to comment.

59.   Tobacco industry lawyers were unavailable for comment.

60.   Tobacco industry lawyers will give their opening argument on Tuesday.