Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC has officially filed for a bankruptcy process. The filing follows operational challenges stemming from an August 2025 asbestos verdict. Ongoing talc claims from about 15 law firms also contributed to the Chapter 11 filing.
Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC Enters Bankruptcy Proceedings
According to PACER court records, Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC made a voluntary filing on February 16. The Chapter 11 proceedings are taking for the mineral supplier in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York.
Filing details further show that Dean Vomero, the Chief Restructuring Officer, is the authorized representative in the petition. Attorney Charles J. Sullivan of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC represents Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC in the case.
Bankruptcy Follows a $12.25 million Asbestos Case and Talc-Related Claims
Several legal troubles have guided Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC’s bankruptcy filing in the past months. On August 28, 2025, the mineral supplier from Norwalk faced an environmental asbestos-related judgement. The decision required it to pay nearly $12.25 million.
According to details shared by civil litigation firm Goldberg Segalla, Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC was ordered to pay the amount following a lawsuit filed by Linda Weaver. Weaver initiated the case after the death of her mother, Anna Bishop.
From 1964 to 1984, Bishop stayed within a mile of Vanderbilt’s mine in Balmat, New York. According to the lawsuit, she died of mesothelioma in January 2023, allegedly from asbestos exposure near the mine, which closed in 2008.
After the case went to trial, the jury found Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC responsible. As a result, it was ordered it to pay $4.5 million for pain and suffering and $7.75 million in punitive damages.
In addition, the latest bankruptcy filing shows that several law firms have filed talc-related claims against Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC. Some of these names are Belluck Law, LLP, Cooney & Conway, and Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP.
Company Background
Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC, a subsidiary of R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company, Inc., was founded in 2013. The company’s mining and manufacturing facilities are present throughout the country. Some of these locations include New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Arizona, California, and South Carolina.
As the source for natural rheology control, Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC has been serving for more than seven decades.
Filings So Far
Court records show that no other bankruptcy cases were filed by or against Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC in the last eight years. Other than this, no affiliate or business partner of the mineral producer has a pending bankruptcy case in court. Additional details in the latest Chapter 11 process are:
- Filing Date: February 16, 2026
- Court and Jurisdiction: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York
- Type of Filing: Active, Voluntary Petition
- Chapter: 11
- Case Number: 26-60110-6
- Estimated Assets: $100,000,001-$500 million
- Estimated Liabilities: $100,000,001-$500 million
- Reason for Filing: Restructure business under court supervision
As of now, Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC owes between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors. Court filings indicate that funds will be available for distribution to the unsecured creditors.
The documents submitted by attorney Charles J. Sullivan, on behalf of Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC, include a list of 15 law firms with significant talc claims against the debtor. This indicates that several people claim they were affected by Vanderbilt’s talc products.
A corporate ownership statement was submitted by the mineral products supplier as well.
With its latest Chapter 11 filing, Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC is seeking to reorganize its finances amid ongoing talc-related claims and notable asbestos verdicts. By doing so, the minerals supplier can operate seamlessly under court supervision through the process.
