"Dan and Mac will want to get back to the good days when money was flowing. Greed will drive them there"

Could that be what might cause one to potentially bypass protocal and licensing procedures and go straight to the top of the companies involved in negotiations to perhaps persuade their ultimate decision makers to agree to package deals that may favor one patent portfolio's price tag at the expense of another, while remaining insulated from reprisal?

Could such a system/model/agreement exist which might sustain such activities?

Just random thoughts / questions / opinions.