Plaintiffs’ lawyers have moved to lift the bankruptcy stay on lawsuits over Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder after a judge floated the idea of trials, which might get the parties closer to a settlement.

U.S. Bankruptcy Chief Judge Michael Kaplan of the District of New Jersey, who is overseeing the Chapter 11 filing of Johnson & Johnson subsidiary LTL Management in New Jersey, told lawyers at a May 24 status hearing that, after speaking to one of the mediators, “We are, it’s fair to say, not as far along as he would have liked.”