Although the bulk of the legal maneuverings surrounding Apple’s back-dating of stock options given to executives is behind the company—including former Apple attorney Nancy Heinen settling with the SEC last month for $2.2 million—a few final bricks need to be mortared into place before the affair can safely be sealed off in the cellar. Federal judge Jeremy Fogel has given preliminary approval to a $14 million settlement between Apple CEO Steve Jobs and other current and former Apple executives and directors to settle shareholder claims the officers breached fiduciary duty in granting backdated options and failing to properly account for them in the company’s financial.
