Lincoln Electric Asks for 'Preservation Deposition' of Its CEO

CLEVELAND - Counsel for defendant Lincoln Electric Co. have asked the federal Welding Fume MDL court to allow them to conduct a four-hour "preservation deposition" of Lincoln Electric chairman and CEO John M. Stropki Jr. that could eliminate the need for Stropki to testify in person at future trials. In re: Welding Fume Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:03-CV-17000 [MDL No. 1535] (N.D. Ohio).

The company said in its Dec. 30 memorandum in support that such a deposition is necessitated by Stropki's "rigorous schedule" and that the deposition contemplated would augment testimony previously videotaped (Byers v. Lincoln Elec., et al., No. …