As the months slip away and the millennium approaches, business lobbyists have stepped up their campaigns to shield companies from an anticipated flood of Y2K-related lawsuits.

But with billions of dollars potentially at stake, the business community’s attempt to advance a unified front is faltering. The reason: Computer and software companies see their efforts to rally bipartisan support for protection against Y2K litigation stymied by their ostensible ally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.