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Fourth Circuit won't sanction asbestos attorneys despite legal 'ping-pong match'
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals judge recently authored a dissent backing a beauty supply manufacturer, arguing the plaintiffs' attorneys acted with misconduct through a legal "ping-pong match" by claiming they had evidence, denying that same evidence and then claiming it again when the statements best suited their cause.
Ninth Circuit denies requests to remand former Pearl Harbor machinists' asbestos lawsuits
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - On Friday, a federal appeals court denied requests from former U.S. Navy servicemen and their families to remand their asbestos lawsuits to state courts, affirming a Hawaii federal court's decision that the federal officer removal statute had been met.
Inactivity of plaintiffs attorneys leads to dismissal of Miss. asbestos case
JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The Supreme Court of Mississippi recently affirmed a lower court's dismissal of an asbestos lawsuit with a particularly inactive plaintiffs' counsel, deciding that the statute of limitations had expired because the doctrine of equitable tolling should not be applied.
N.Y. court won't dismiss asbestos suits against dissolved valve maker
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A New York court has reaffirmed a previous decision denying a company's efforts to dismiss asbestos claims against it, noting that the company is still amenable and subject to lawsuits.
NYCAL judge consolidates eight asbestos cases for trials
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - The New York Asbestos Litigation (NYCAL) has agreed to consolidate eight asbestos lawsuits into three separate trial groups set to begin in September.
MDL judge dismisses 22 defendants in Ohio maritime asbestos case
PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - Nearly one month after the multidistrict litigation court granted approximately 6,000 motions of dismissal in Ohio maritime asbestos lawsuits, Judge Eduardo Robreno has upheld his prior decision dismissing Ohio claims for lack of personal jurisdiction in yet another mass dismissal.
Bondex requests approval of deadline notice plan in bankruptcy proceedings
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) - Nearly a year after a judge estimated the $1.1 billion bankruptcy liability for two companies that formerly manufactured asbestos-containing products, Specialty Products Holding Corp. has requested the Delaware Bankruptcy Court to approve a deadline notice plan.
HarrisMartin's Northwest Asbestos Litigation Conference to be held in Washington
TACOMA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - HarrisMartin is hosting its third asbestos conference since the beginning of 2014 this summer, addressing growing trends and controversies in one of the nation's largest and longest running mass tort litigations.
$980K asbestos verdict against Cleaver Brooks affirmed in deceased boiler worker's case
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has upheld a jury's $980,000 verdict in an asbestos lawsuit, affirming the jury's liability apportionment based on the defendant's failure to provide proper evidence against other entities.
The Budd Company files for bankruptcy, asbestos cases stayed
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - An auto parts manufacturer based in Michigan and named in asbestos lawsuits has filed for the protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Ohio plaintiffs attorney unhappy with changes to asbestos claim rules
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - As some Wisconsin asbestos attorneys look forward to what they can expect from changes the new asbestos transparency bill creates, Ohio plaintiffs' attorney Tony Gallucci said his state's similar bill passed in 2012 takes control of their own cases away from claimants.
Calif. asbestos lawsuit remanded after defendants 'gambled' their chances for removal
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - California federal judge Christina A. Snyder has remanded an asbestos lawsuit to state court on the grounds that the defendants "gambled" their chances for summary judgment in state court before falling back on removal to federal court.
Federal judge upholds use of removal statute, orders new complaint in asbestos case
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (Legal Newsline) - An Illinois federal judge has found removal of an asbestos case to his court under the federal officer removal statute to be proper.
Brake manufacturer wins Calif. jury verdict in asbestos case
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A brake linings manufacturer received a defense verdict after what its attorneys consider the most challenging friction case their firm has seen in its 38 years of asbestos litigation.
Wisconsinites can look to Ohio for effects of new asbestos transparency law
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - As Wisconsin asbestos courtrooms and attorneys prepare for the changes the new asbestos transparency bill provides, referencing the experience with Ohio's similar bill passed in 2012 could indicate less hectic courtrooms in the future.
Punitive damages reintroduced in NYC asbestos litigation
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - On Tuesday, New York Supreme Court Justice Sherry Klein Heitler delivered an order reinstating claims for punitive damages in the New York City Asbestos Litigation.
Judge warns asbestos defendants of filing baseless motions
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) - Several defendants in a Mississippi man's asbestos lawsuit were denied dismissal for filing "generic, baseless motions."
Long asbestos trial attributed to complexity, number of defendants
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A four-month long asbestos trial in the New York Supreme Court that ended in a $12.5 million plaintiff victory can be attributed to its complexity and vast number of defendants at the onset of trial, says one trial attorney.
Educational program executives sentenced for exposing high school students to asbestos
FRESNO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - Two former executives from a now-defunct nonprofit organization were sentenced to prison on Monday for exposing as many as 80 Merced County high school students to asbestos in an attempt to cut corners in asbestos removal.
Judge rules for defendant in asbestos case on product identification grounds
PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - After a five-year summary judgment battle in a federal asbestos Multidistrict Litigation court, Judge Eduardo Robreno has granted a defendant's move for summary judgment based on the bare metal defense and poor product identification.