Saint-Gobain Unit Fights to Withhold Documents in Asbestos Row

A unit of CertainTeed and French parent Compagnie de Saint-Gobain that faced tens of thousands of asbestos-related claims objected to a discovery referee’s report recommending the building materials maker disclose documents about its controversial bankruptcy maneuver.

The court-appointed referee exceeded his authority, misapplied legal standards on the crime-fraud exception and privilege waiver, and made legal and factual errors in his recommendations, DBMP LLC said in a July 25 objection filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

DBMP LLC filed for bankruptcy in January 2020 to manage asbestos liabilities, after it was spun off from ...