NEW YORK--Attorneys who defend insurers said the absence of high-profile plaintiff lawyers Mel Weiss and David Bershad from the class-action scene hasn't cut the volume of such lawsuits, but the pair's know-how at settlement talks is missed.

"Where you'll really feel the impact is settlement discussions," said Jeffrey Rudman, a defense attorney for Wilmer Hale in Boston, speaking at the Professional Liability Underwriting Society's D&O Symposium yesterday.

With Mr. Bershad and Mr. Weiss missing because of their legal difficulties, rookie class-action lawyers for plaintiffs have arrived who are drawing out the litigation process and bringing a new level of nastiness to proceedings, other defense attorneys said.

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