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In this episode of S&C\u2019s Critical Insights, Bill Monahan, Head of S&C\u2019s Products Liability & Mass Torts Group, and Shane Palmer, an associate in the Firm\u2019s Litigation Group, examine the new proposed Rule 16.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which the Judicial Conference of the United States\u2019 Advisory Committee on Civil Rules recently voted to adopt as the first rule governing multidistrict litigation. They discuss the original proposal for Rule 16.1 that was published last year, the defense and plaintiffs bars\u2019 reaction to the proposed rule, and the final proposed rule that was adopted last month and its implications for MDLs.\xa0\nSince Congress passed the Multidistrict Litigation Act in 1968 and created the MDL process, there have been no specific rules dictating how judges should manage MDLs, beyond the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that apply in every federal civil case.\nIn 2017, the Advisory Committee established an MDL Subcommittee to consider whether new rules should be added to address the unique challenges of MDLs. Rule 16.1, which is designed to guide MDL courts in addressing the various and complex issues unique to MDL proceedings, is the first proposed rule to come out of the MDL Subcommittee\u2019s efforts.