Ponevezh Yeshiva: Understanding the Machlokes and is it finally over?

How common are controversies over leadership in the Litvish yeshiva system? Is the Ponevezh controversy unique?
What were the main points of the machlokes and how did they develop?
Who halachically owns assets donated to a yeshiva — the Rosh Yeshiva, the fundraiser, or the institution itself?
When, if ever, may a yeshiva bring a dispute to secular arbitration or secular court rather than to Beis Din?