In U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the National Prescription Opiate Litigation is a collection of more than 2,500 lawsuits against manufacturers and others in the drug industry for their alleged roles in the opioid crisis. The judge set a November 22 deadline for jurisdictions to opt out of a Negotiating Class. Attorney Hunter Shkolnik – of the firm Napoli Shkolnik - is counsel for several Ohio cities and counties, and explains the NEgotiating Class makes the possibility of a class settlement more feasible. "This is really just a first step," says Shkolnik. "And it's an easier method to help them get to the point where there will be  settlement and then, they can vote whether or not they like the settlement or not. So, that's why I think we're seeing a very small number go the route of opting out." Download