United States Third Circuit

In a dispute over coverage arising from asbestos-related claims, dismissal of plaintiff's declaratory judgment breach of contract action against sixteen insurers for failure to join parties as defendants is reversed where various absent insurers plaintiff did not name in its complaint as defendants were neither "necessary" nor "indispensable" to the action as Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 19 defines those terms.

Appellate Information

• Argued 06/14/2007
• Decided 08/28/2007
• Published 08/28/2007

Judges

• BEFORE: FUENTES, GREENBERG and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Barry L. Katz (Argued), Bala Cynwyd, PA, for Appellant General Refractories Co., John N. Ellison, Michael Conley (Argued), Jocelyn A. Gabrynowicz, Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C., Philadelphia, PA, Amy Bach, Mill Valley, CA, for Amicus Curiae United Policyholders in support of General Refractories Co.


• For Appellees:
  
• Francis P. Maneri (Argued), Dilworth Paxson LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee Westport Insurance Corp. (successor to Puritan Insurance Co.)., Paul M. Hummer, Joseph Monahan, Saul Ewing LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee American Empire Surplus Lines Insurance Company., Marc P. Gorfinkel, Rivkin Radler, LLP, Uniondale, NY, Wendy H. Koch, Koch & Corboy, Jenkintown Plaza, PA, for Appellee Sentry Insurance Co., Cynthia Ruggerio, Christie, Pabarue, Mortensen & Young, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee One Beacon America Insurance Company, as successor in interest to Potomac Insurance Company (improperly identified as Potomac Insurance Company of Illinois)., Kevin E. Wolff, Karen H. Moriarty, Couglin Duffy, LLP, Morristown, NJ, for Appellee Centennial Insurance Company.