Welcome to Law.com Class Actions: Critical Mass, a weekly briefing for class action and mass tort attorneys.

This week: A federal judge said the 3M earplug settlement talks have reached a “critical juncture” requiring the CEO’s involvement. Trade groups representing special masters, or court-appointed neutrals, want to move the profession beyond the same players, who are often white and male. Find out who got appointed to lead Zantac lawsuits in Delaware state courts.