LR, my friend, your understanding of English, and ability to express yourself in that language exceeds that of many, if not most, native speakers. Don't be so hard on yourself for not understanding. Sometimes it's just a matter of someone else not being clear, or differences in interpretations based on life experiences, not language.

"Are you stating you feel it wouldn't have mattered?" To a large degree, that is correct. In my opinion, Big Chunk is of little consequence at present, whether that legal issue had settled, or not. Some shareholders have thought that the litigation had some damping effect on the shareprice, but I don't think so, and certainly not in the present environment. ...just my opinion, of course.

"I'm not saying 'this will get the ball rolling', but I do have the feeling that it could possibly have a downside trying to find another party willing to commit to invest."

If litigation mattered, none of the world's iconic companies could ever get off the ground, and we would all still be living in caves. In this case, we are talking about a small mining company with multiple targets/projects in different geographic locations, so what happens in one area should not too much effect what happenes at another - so long as what disputes may arise are over somewhat routine business dealings, and not matters of a criminal nature. Integrity counts, and I don't think anyone at any time has doubted JB's integrity, nor that of anyone on, or associated with LBSR's board of directors.

Besides - and I am not a lawyer - awards from the courts in routine disuputes are usually limited to damages, or the amount of actual "out-of-pocket" loss experienced by the aggrieved party. So, I don't see that there was all that much at stake here anyway. Hence the appearance of what looks like (to me) "small potatoes" in this settlement.

This should never have been a concern for anyone interested in Hay Mountain (in my opinion, and based on the little I know).

Now, did I address you question reasonably well? I hope so. If not, I'm happy to discuss further, and will also look for others to comment here.

Cheers,

VP in AZ