Did anyone else notice that Levy told Marlo never to meet with Andy Krawczyk unless Levy was present? I couldn't really tell what he was getting at there. The way I see it, there are two possibilities:

1) Levy is trying to protect Marlo from falling into the same trap as Stringer. This seems to make sense, since when Stringer finally came to Levy about his dealings with Clay Davis, Levy said that Stringer never would have been taken for a ride if he had kept Levy in the loop. But was Andy Krawczyk actively trying to scam Stringer? I thought Davis was the real problem.

2) Levy is worried that Marlo will become tight with Krawczyk, and Levy will be cut out of a very lucrative arrangement. I sort of like this theory more, since Levy is clearly more concerned with making money off his clients than actually protecting them.

Any thoughts on what to make of that little bit of advice Levy gave to Marlo?

Levy wanted to make sure he was the one who controlled Marlo's money. Krawczyk was scamming Stringer by overcharging him and probably making stuff up about permits which would force Stringer to pay Clay more bribe money. I think Levy's only concern was that he was the one in charge of the scamming.

I'm surprised Krawczyk wasn't scared off from dealing with gangsters after meeting Omar. I guess greed wins out over smarts. Even Clay is blissfully unaware that Stringer was ready to have 2 hitters pay him a visit before he got killed.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Levy wants to net as much as possible in his relationship with Marlo, and if Krawczyk gets in on the action behind Levy's back, there is less for Levy.

Also, that is a funny point about Krawczyk getting back into the gangster game after his experience with Stringer. Judging by his facial expression during his "BNBG" witness account, I expected him to lay in a fetal position sucking his thumb for the rest of his days.

Clay Davis explained to Lester that when gangsters (like Stringer) begin to feel more confident and venture beyond the "guiding hands" of their counselers, like Levy, they become open prey to vultures like Davis, the developers, etc. who will take advantage of their business world naivete, lead them on and fleece them for as much as they can. Levy's trying to keep Marlo on a leash.

Levy is a lawyer who makes his money by representing drug dealers. The dealers come to him because he has shown himself to protect their interests in all aspects of life. So it's in his own interest not to allow any of his clients to be bled. Just as it was in his own interest that he got Marlo a walk, when he really could have just taken a deal that let him (Levy) get away scott free while letting his clients hang. He's not a particularly likable or ethical character, but Levy actually does protect his clients as well as he is able to, and he is able to do so very well.

Though, like I say, it's in his own best interests to protect his clients, and not simply because they're volatile people.

Yes, I agree, it is in Levy's best interest to protect his clients from hard time. But in a way, it is also in his best interest that his clients find themselves in trouble frequently. The more they need him, the more he can charge them.

I don't remember the exact wording or even which episode it was in, but wasn't there a conversation between Herc and Levy at some point this season when Levy said that Marlo and crew getting into trouble would be good for the law firm?

So he has to walk a fine line: he doesn't want to keep his clients so clean that they never need legal counsel, but he also doesn't want to damage his reputation by letting a major client take a fall. Tough gig. I guess that's why it is so profitable.