The Dickie Scruggs saga has been much hyped. Indeed, one could say it is over-hyped because although there are some lawyers who appear to have bent or broken the rules, there are many more who act ethically and do a great job for their clients.
In any event, the best summary I’ve seen of the Dickie Scruggs saga is by Roger Parloff of Fortune. An upcoming issue of Fortune will have a condensed article, but an extended online version is available here. In addition, Mr. Parloff’s blog has further information.