I know a lawyer about a decade ago who worked for a country government dealing with one. He told me that if the guy had 6 friend he could probably fully demolish the entire government of the county. They would be bankrupt from lawsuits, everyone would be afraid to do anything for fear of getting dragged in, nothing could get approved.

I don't know if he was exaggerating or not but I think there is some truth to it. Things do seem to work only because no one has decided to stop it from working.