The following report is courtesy of Stephen Kurkjian from Boston.com:

Lawyers representing more than 300 people who lost loved ones or who were injured in the devastating fire that swept a Rhode Island nightclub nearly four years ago have agreed to hire a nationally recognized specialist in conflict resolution as a first step toward trying to settle dozens of civil lawsuits.

The suits have been filed against the owners of the nightclub and nearly 100 others whom the lawyers allege played a role in the tragedy.

A team of nine lawyers who represent most of the plaintiffs sent a letter Thursday to the federal judge in Providence who is hearing the case requesting approval of their motion to hire Francis E. McGovern, a professor at Duke University Law School as a special master.

According to a 2003 profile on the law school’s website, McGovern helped organize the distribution of $2.4 billion compensating 100,000 women who had sued the maker of the Dalkon Shield contraceptive intrauterine device and helped forge solutions in cases involving DDT toxic exposure in Alabama. McGovern did not return phone calls yesterday.

McGovern would not be involved in negotiating with defendants to settle, according to the letter, which said that task would be taken up by others, who were not identified.

Max Wistow of Providence, one of the nine lawyers, said last night they had started negotiating a settlement with one defendant, whom he declined to name.

‘‘We’re just beginning this process, but we’ve already had some serious discussions [with the defendant] about a negotiated settlement,’’ Wistow said. ‘‘Some clients are in serious economic conditions, and if we can, we would like to be ready to distribute money under some equitable plan.’’ He declined to speculate how long a settlement might take.

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