Dispute Arises Over Gulf Claims Facility's Dealings with Putative MDL Plaintiffs

NEW ORLEANS - Counsel for some individual plaintiffs in the Deepwater Horizon multi-district litigation have joined BP in opposing a motion by Plaintiffs' Steering Committee to have the court review communications between putative class members and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. In re: Oil spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, No. 10-md-2179 (E.D. La.).

Plaintiffs Steering Committee filed the motion for court oversight on Dec. 21. BP and counsel for some plaintiffs filed oppositions in January.

At the heart of the Steering Committee's objections is the Claims Facility's demand …