Aldrich Pump and asbestos claimants ordered to mediation

By Sarah Lizee

Olympia, Wash., Dec. 6 – Aldrich Pump LLC was ordered to mediate with present and future asbestos claimants, according to an order filed Tuesday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

The parties have been directed to seek an agreement as to who will serve as mediator and what the mediation procedures will be.

A status conference will be held on Jan. 26. If no agreement is reached by 10 days before the hearing, any party to the mediation may file a proposed form of order selecting a mediator and establishing mediation protocols before the status conference.

As previously reported, the bankruptcy administrator had requested the mediation with the goal of assisting the parties in avoiding protracted litigation. The official committee of asbestos personal injury claimants objected to the motion.

The committee had said that over the past several months respective representatives of the committee and the debtors have been engaging in confidential discussions and exploring whether a possible path to resolving the cases consensually exists.

The committee said the debtors also did not support mediation.

“Unless both parties agree that mediation will be of aid in resolving their disputes, it is unlikely that mediation will do so,” the committee had said.

Davidson, N.C.-based Aldrich provides climate control solutions. The company filed bankruptcy on June 17, 2020 under Chapter 11 case number 20-30608.

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