What to Know About the Purdue Pharma Case Before the Supreme Court – The New York Times

It is rare for the Supreme Court to agree to hear a bankruptcy court dispute, experts say, especially one addressing a settlement agreement in what is known as a mass tort case.

Few such cases make it to the court because all parties are under pressure to settle. Litigating all the way to the highest court in the nation is costly and time-consuming. In the Purdue case, the U.S. Trustee Program, a watchdog office in the Justice Department, petitioned the Supreme Court to review the deal.

Several other aspects of the case made it more likely that the Supreme Court would grant review, legal experts said. For one, the opioid crisis is an issue of national importance. And such agreements allowing third parties to be shielded from most liability without declaring bankruptcy themselves are increasingly popular and have divided lower courts.

via www.nytimes.com