The January 28 date is the deadline for Philip Morris to reply to the complaint. That is literally the 1st step in a court case. The plaintiff files a complaint, and then the defendant replies. There is no settlement coming anytime soon.
<< I posted they may be close to a settlement out of Court, why wouldn't they be negotiating at this time >>
Why would they be negotiating at such an early stage? That doesn't even make any sense. The court case literally just started.
If someone sues you for $1,000. Do you automatically just give them money the next day?