Macondo Trial Delay Does Little to Help BP

摘要

The last-minute postponement of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill megatrial may appear to be a positive development for BP, but even if the settlement talks bear fruit, the company still faces a complex and costly tangle of litigation. Opening arguments in the trial had been scheduled for Feb. 27, but on Feb. 26 US District Judge Carl Barbier adjourned the start of the proceedings for one week to allow BP to pursue settlement talks with some of the businesses and individuals represented by the plaintiffs' steering committee (PIW Feb.27' 12).