Before the $13 billion verdict, there was a tangled web of boardroom intrigue, handshake deals, and the fight for control of Getty Oil.

In Part 1 of our deep-dive series on Pennzoil v. Texaco, we cover all the background facts that led to one of the most dramatic business trials in history:

• Getty Oil’s fractured ownership structure (and the famous “3/7ths” shares)
• How Pennzoil thought it had a binding deal with Getty
• Why Texaco swooped in with a competing bid
• And how this corporate chess match set the stage for the trial of the century