Ill. Court Issues Ruling on Application of Common Interest Doctrine in Benzene Contamination Case

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. –– The federal court overseeing a benzene contamination case has denied defense efforts to apply the common interest doctrine at this time, saying that it will make a determination on whether the doctrine is applicable on a case-by-case basis.

In a recent online docket entry, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois wrote that “the current dispute related to a 30(b)(6) deponent and for various reasons does not offer a factual background permitting a helpful ruling.”

“Shell shall notify the Court and opposing counsel in advance if a URS employee is prepped for …