Judge Stays Proceedings in Distributor Lawsuit

LOS ANGELES -- A federal judge has stayed proceedings in a lawsuit filed by Hamilton Materials Inc., which claims that the defendants misrepresented and concealed safety concerns when distributing asbestos-containing products. Hamilton Materials v. Union Carbide, et al., No. 04-8389 (C.D. Calif.).

The May 11 order issued by Judge Florence-Marie Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted Hamilton's motion for certification for appeal and to stay the proceedings.

Hamilton sought leave to appeal an order in which Judge Cooper opined that two of the defendants, a former Union Carbide employee and KCAC, the company …