Under some interpretation, Coinlab would have to pay $15M to get the govt license. They don't have that kind of capital, at least officially.
The deal was made just before fincen "guidance".
Premise: Uncle sam forcing MtGox/Coinlab to comply with financial regulations (simplistically said, pay up huge sum to be a bank, otherwise you'll end up like e-gold). This lawsuit is the the consequence (passing the sucker bag).