Law360, New York (February 20, 2018, 11:52 AM EST) -- The fate of multidistrict litigation over the opioid crisis now rests heavily with 18 elite attorneys who have been tasked with negotiating a settlement in the historic case.

The negotiators, who were chosen earlier this month, are split into two camps: seven attorneys representing local governments that allege grievous financial harm from the opioid crisis, and 11 attorneys representing opioid manufacturers and distributors. Their assignment is daunting: broker a quick and meaningful deal that earmarks money for health care and law enforcement, while also helping to curb opioid prescribing and abuse.

Here, Law360 presents the names and faces of the negotiators, along with details about some of their biggest cases and notable achievements.




--Editing by Rebecca Flanagan.

--Correction: This article originally misidentified Chris Seeger's role in the Syngenta litigation. The error has been corrected. 

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