According to the Nobel Foundation, nomination for Nobel Prizes are kept confidential for 50 years.  Reports that Mr. Williams had been nominated for the Nobel Prize need to be verified by the nominators.  It is possible to determine whether the alleged nominator was an actual nominator during the year in question.  See the FAQ at: http://nobelprize.org/nomination_facts.html.  That this came up in a court document gives at least some credence to these claims.