Anticipating a flood of business-interruption lawsuits against insurance firms in the wake of COVID-19, two groups of lawyers have sought to create a multidistrict litigation proceeding that would coordinate all the cases.

Dozens of small businesses have sued a spate of insurance firms, including Certain Underwriters of Lloyd’s of London and Admiralty Indemnity Co., alleging they rejected coverage for economic losses caused by government shutdowns over coronavirus.