The use of settlement masters to reach global settlements in large-scale tort litigation dates back at least to the Dalkon Shield and Agent Orange litigation beginning in the late 1980s. Courts have come to realize that the appointment of a neutral third-party who is granted “quasi-judicial” authority to act as a “buffer” between the court and the parties can be a useful approach to reaching a settlement. This is especially the case in complex litigation involving numerous parties, “especially when the disputes have ‘matured’ and have become both repetitive and time-consuming.” – Kenneth Feinberg