Key Points
NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters) - The lead negotiators for Johnson & Johnson's proposed $8.9 billion settlement of thousands of talc lawsuits faced intense questioning in U.S. bankruptcy court on Wednesday about how much support the company has for the deal...
During a multi-day court hearing in Trenton, New Jersey, attorneys for plaintiffs alleging that J&J's baby powder and other talc products sometimes contained asbestos and caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma drilled down on J&J's public statements that it has "secured commitments from over 60,000 current claimants" for the settlement, and that the "majority" of talc claimants support it...
The deal has divided lawyers representing cancer victims, many of whom claim that J&J has created the illusion of widespread support for a settlement that would deny plaintiffs just compensation...
Moshe Maimon, an attorney for cancer victims opposed to the settlement, said that four law firms represent a majority of the 60,000 claims counted by J&J, and he pointed out that none of those firms' clients have yet agreed to support the deal...
Jim Murdica, J&J's outside counsel and lead negotiator on the settlement, defended J&Js public statements and disagreed when Maimon suggested that Watts clients should not be counted as supporters..
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