Volkswagen of America, Inc. v. Superior Court

*698Opinion

JONES, P. J.

In this case, we will hold that General Order No. 55, adopted by the San Francisco Superior Court to help manage its complex asbestos litigation, does not violate California Rules of Court, rule 981.1, which preempts generally applicable local rules.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

By the early 1980’s, the complexity and volume of asbestos-related litigation in state and federal courts had become the focus of substantial judicial resources and public attention. In response, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) established a working group to develop and publicize…