Plaintiffs lawyers leading lawsuits brought over the opioid crisis have filed a motion to certify an expansive class of various governments in preparation for a nationwide settlement.

In a motion for class certification filed Friday, lawyers sought to have a federal judge who is overseeing more than 1,800 lawsuits by cities, counties and other governments over the opioid crisis, approve an unprecedented “negotiation class” for the “sole purpose of negotiating and potentially settling with defendants conducting nationwide opioids manufacturing, sales, or distribution.”