BP asks court to replace administrator in Gulf spill case
BP Plc (BP.L) asked a U.S. court on Tuesday to fire the court-appointed lawyer tasked with paying out compensation to people affected by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, saying the lawyer had not disclosed an alleged conflict of interest before taking the job.
The motion in U.S. District Court in New Orleans said the lawyer, Patrick Juneau, lacks neutrality because he had advocated for claimants before the court appointed him to run the claims program.
“In order to restore the integrity of the claims program, the court should replace him,” BP said.
The 1,000-page settlement deal was negotiated by BP and a committee of plaintiffs’ lawyers to avoid individual lawsuits by compensating a wide class of businesses and individuals in one swoop.
More charges are possible as the trial to determine blame and overall damages from the spill, including those under the federal Clean Water Act, is ongoing.
The case can be found under: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No. 10-md-02179.
Source: Reuters
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