Southwire Company, a manufacturer of copper and aluminum wire products used in residential and commercial buildings, filed preemptive litigation Thursday in Georgia Northern District Court against Copperweld Bimetallics. The suit, brought by Mayer Brown and Eversheds Sutherland, seeks declaratory judgment that Southwire has not engaged in anticompetitive conduct in connection with a determination by the National Fire Protection Association that the defendant’s copper-clad aluminum wire is not safe for use in power and lighting circuits.

According to the suit, Copperweld has given notice that it intends to file an antitrust suit against Southwire, creating an actual controversy. The case is 3:22-cv-00146, Southwire Company, LLC v. Copperweld Bimetallics, LLC.