LAW & REGULATION

Valdez Damage Settlement May Be Nearer: The state of Alaska and the federal government have agreed to join forces with thousands of private plaintiffs suing Exxon Corp. over damages from the Valdez oil spill, a move that revives hopes of a settlement with Exxon. The agreement calls for dismissal of suits filed against the state, said Craig Tillery, an Alaska assistant attorney general who helped negotiate the pact, signed Friday. Those suits had divided Exxon’s legal foes. “It certainly will make for a stronger litigation group by taking away a division,” Tillery said. “It is the house that is no longer divided.”