Firms that armed themselves to the teeth to combat an onslaught of Y2K litigation are finding instead that the work is coming in at a trickle — or not at all.

While the arrival of Jan. 1 could usher in a new round of litigation, local firms say they have so far failed to see the predicted tidal wave of lawsuits materialize. Federal legislation, coupled with early settlements of the initial round of suits, curtailed all but a handful of Y2K cases.