Frustrated by the treatment they say their clients are receiving in New York City's asbestos court, more than 50 defense firms are asking the court's new coordinating judge to stay for 60 days court proceedings in all pending cases.

The request came in a hand-delivered letter Tuesday to Manhattan Justice Peter Moulton, who manages the New York City Asbestos Litigation and is the administrative judge of the Manhattan Supreme Court's Civil Term. It was amplified in a joint court motion filed Wednesday.

According to the letter and motion, the time-out would allow the parties to craft a new court management order that is “fair and balanced” and “protects all parties' rights.” The letter warned that concerns about the “legitimacy and viability” of the current rules “cannot be overstated.”