It took seven years to reach a proposed $7.25 billion antitrust settlement between retailers and Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and the banks that issue their plastic cards.
It took another year to feud over the agreement.
On Thursday, supporters and opponents will sound off in a New York courtroom as part of what's likely to be the final showdown over claims that the credit card companies broke antitrust laws by fixing billions of dollars in swipe fees that merchants pay each year.
Major retailers have objected to the settlement as perpetuating a broken payments system, with many backing out of it altogether. Some, including Target Corp., are taking new legal action.
U.S. District Judge John Gleeson, in charge of approving the historic settlement, will probably make a decision in 30 to 120 days.
Despite the beating the settlement has taken, class co-counsel K. Craig Wildfang as well as the defendants remain confident Gleeson will ultimately approve it.
"I think we're likely to make some history," said Wildfang.
Wildfang is the Minneapolis lawyer who has logged many hours over the past eight years helping represent the class of more than 7 million U.S. businesses covered by the pact. It's estimated to be the largest private cash settlement in an antitrust class-action in U.S. history, although it has shrunk since so many retailers walked away from it.