The judge overseeing the NEC formula MDL has scheduled an important in-court status conference for December 19th, which is not very common in such cases. During this conference, several key topics will be discussed, including the process for selecting the bellwether cases (which are representative cases used to guide the rest of the litigation), ongoing discovery issues (where both sides exchange evidence and information), and the possibility of moving toward settlement mediation to resolve the cases without going to trial. This conference will be a critical step in moving the litigation forward.