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"The additional defendants all now consent to joinder," said Tim Lord of Brick Court Chambers, according to a transcript here of the proceedings.

Bill Gates filed a joinder, meaning he supports the dissolution of the marriage.

However, Missouri’s high court on Feb. 13 ruled in a separate talc case that allowed a non-resident to participate in joined cases was “a clear and direct violation” of state law barring the use of joinder - combining two or more cases - to allow courts to hear cases they otherwise could not.

But the St. Louis court had allowed out-of-state residents to continue to sue New Jersey-based J&J through liberal use of joinder.

The court let the result stand, saying that even an improper joinder did not render the trial unfair to defendants.