Hancock deal

Nearly two dozen states reached a deal with John Hancock Life Insurance to settle a dis pute over how the Bos ton insurer pays life in surance policies and annuities.

Samsung sues

Samsung Electronics filed patent lawsuits against Apple in a tit-for- tat case after Apple claimed Samsung’s smartphones and tablets “slavishly” copied the iPhone and iPad.

See Jane

Former US Rep. Jane Harman, the widow of electronics magnate Sid ney Harman, will take a board seat at Newsweek Daily Beast Co. to repre sent her family’s 50 per cent interest in the Web site and magazine.

Party!

Party City Holdings filed for an initial public offering with a registra tion amount of $350 mil lion, according to a regu latory filing. The final size of the offering may change.

BofA suit

Bank of America was dismissed from a suit brought by investors who bought mortgage- backed securities sold by Countrywide Financial, the lender BofA ac quired in 2008.