legal guidance required for PF claim

Dear sir, My father worked in an cotton mill. During that time there was a union strike and my father also participated in that against the company. due to that company gave a temporary suspension to my father due to that my father lodged a case against that company. Since it was 16 years he doesn't know the status of the case my father's lawyer also not responding on this issue. What all we know is now the company is no more running the same was taken over by other company. Now my father applying for withdraw is PF money but the lawyer was telling that without signature from the company p