A selected summary of Southern California-related business litigation developments during the past week.

Fourth Man Admits Guilt in Insider Trading Case: A fourth defendant pleaded guilty to insider trading charges involving the use of pre-released information from a Business Week magazine column. Pacific Palisades resident Lawrence Small, who pleaded guilty to two securities violations in federal court, grossed at least $57,000 on stocks he purchased based on the inside information in 1987. Small faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, prosecutors said. Small paid an employee of R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., the Torrance firm that printed Business Week, to provide him with information from the “Inside Wall Street” column. A security that receives a favorable mention in the column typically increases in value after the magazine’s public dissemination. Small had access to information at least a day before the magazine’s release. (Case No. 91-18. Plea entered Jan. 28)