Leading Finance Firm Secures Coveted Spot in European Litigation Funders Association (ELFA)

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) today announced the recruitment of Rupert Cunningham as Global Director of Growth and Membership Engagement. In this role, Rupert will work to drive ILFA’s membership growth and retention, provide leadership and management to serve ILFA members, and promote global education and awareness of litigation finance.

Prior to joining ILFA, Rupert served as a Special Adviser to UK Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC. He advised the Lord Chancellor on courts, sentencing, and legal services policy and shepherded legislation to support the legal finance industry in England and Wales. Before his work in government, Rupert worked as a public affairs and policy consultant, helping build coalitions of clients and trade associations to achieve positive political outcomes.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Rupert Cunningham,” said Shannon Campagna, ILFA’s interim Executive Director. “Rupert’s experience working with membership and trade associations to build coalitions across industries and in the UK’s Ministry of Justice makes him uniquely suited for leading ILFA’s global growth and engagement.”

“I am delighted to be joining ILFA, the leading global organization advocating for the legal finance sector,” Rupert Cunningham said. “When I was in the Ministry of Justice, I saw firsthand how important third-party funding is for promoting access to justice, so I am glad to be supporting the industry by expanding ILFA’s membership and helping members amplify their voice with industry stakeholders and policymakers worldwide.” 

Rupert’s appointment demonstrates ILFA’s commitment to expanding legal finance industry representation across continents and extending the industry’s reach with legislative, regulatory, and judicial policymakers worldwide.

About the International Legal Finance Association   

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) represents the global commercial legal finance community, and its mission is to engage, educate, and influence legislative, regulatory, and judicial landscapes as the voice of the commercial legal finance industry. It is the only global association of commercial legal finance companies and is an independent, non-profit trade association promoting the highest standards of operation and service for the commercial legal finance sector. ILFA has local chapter representation around the world.  

For more information, visit www.ilfa.com and find us on LinkedIn and X @ILFA_Official.

Legal-Bay, The Pre Settlement Funding Company, announced today that a New Hampshire court has just tossed out an initial $38 million award in favor of a paltry $475k payout even the presiding judge is calling "an unconscionable miscarriage of justice."

Plaintiff David Meehan originally filed suit for the 100+ sexual abuse violations he suffered as a minor at a youth detention center in the 1990s. It turns out, he wasn't the only victim. The case has garnered tremendous headlines for the egregious abuses inflicted upon underage boys and girls at that facility for years. As the whistleblower, Meehan was in a unique position to help subsequent victims who came forward with their own claims of abuse, the first of many to testify. One can only imagine the bravery it must have taken to recount in graphic detail the sexual misconduct he endured as a minor. While the case played out online and through the media, the opinion that mattered most was the jury's; they found Meehan credible enough to award him $38 million, citing personal injury and punitive damages.

However, the jury instructions were not clear, and a technicality has now ensued: According to the verdict sheet, the jurors only listed "1 incident" on the jury form returned to the court after deliberations. Meehan's lawyers, Rus Rilee and David Vicinanzo, had argued off the record that there needed to be more clarity to jurors, but to no avail. State law dictates that $475K is the cap per incident.

After hearing of the state's assertion that the verdict was going to be revised down to $475k, several jurors reached out to Rilee to explain themselves regarding the misunderstanding and their intentions. They felt horrible about the lowered settlement amount and expressed how misinformed they were about the jury instructions in the case. Even the judge in a post-trial order felt the weight of the evidence reflected more than purely a lone incident. (Jurors have clarified post-trial that they meant one ongoing incident of PTSD from the abuse, and not one instance of the abuse itself, because clearly, they all believed his account of how he'd been raped multiple times on numerous occasions.)  

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal Bay, commented, "Legal-Bay has been one of the only companies who has been funding YDC cases since the start. So, with full disclosure, it is without question that we have a vested interest in seeing the plaintiffs prevail. However, aside from our personal belief in the veracity of the claims made, this new verdict is one of the gravest civil injustices our company has witnessed in almost twenty years of doing business. David Meehan was the first to report the abuse and win his case at trial, and now others stand to reap more from his courageous efforts than he will. We understand the state's motivation to protect its taxpayers to some extent, but something just seems amiss here. We are optimistic that the civil justice system and politicians who support their local constituents will work out a more reasonable resolution whether through the courts or otherwise. And we hope that not only Meehan, but all the victims will get justice for the atrocities that occurred in the youth detention centers of New Hampshire and across the nation. That seems to be lost on the defense team and state's position throughout all this, which is disappointing."

If you're a lawyer or plaintiff involved in an active sexual abuse lawsuit of any kind and need an immediate cash advance against an impending lawsuit settlement, please visit Legal-Bay HERE or call toll-free at 877.571.0405.

Legal Bay reports that the New Hampshire YDC litigation has over 1400 cases filed to date. When Legal Bay began funding early on—when no other company would—there were just eight plaintiffs. The company says the other victims have David Meehan and Rus Rilee to thank for their courage to take on the state in what has become one of the most egregious criminal and civil violations of children's rights in U.S. History. 

Whatever the ultimate resolution, YDC cases in N.H. look to be winding down. But that is not the situation in many other litigations nationwide. There are tens of thousands of plaintiffs awaiting justice in many youth detention center cases across the country, as well as other similar litigations that will take time to resolve. Some of them include Mac Hall and foster home sex abuse cases in Los Angeles, CA, southern California clergy cases, New York and New Jersey Catholic Diocese church lawsuits, Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse cases, sex abuse at youth correctional facilities, at sports facilities, and by coaches, camp counselors, teachers, and sadly, many more.

YDC is not an isolated problem. Childhood sexual abuse litigations all over the country are emerging, and the psychological damage caused by so many is beyond what everyday society can even comprehend. Legal Bay is at the forefront of each and every one of these litigations, doing their best to support the victims to get their lives back in order and help them receive justice.

If you're a lawyer or plaintiff involved in an active sexual abuse lawsuit of any kind and need an immediate cash advance against an impending lawsuit settlement, please visit Legal-Bay HERE or call toll-free at 877.571.0405.

Settlement amounts for sex abuse survivors vary widely, and appeals are almost immediately filed, holding up payouts indefinitely. Commercial litigation funding is available while plaintiffs wait out a verdict on appeal, and large pre-settlement funding can be obtained while the verdicts go through the appellate process. 

In larger cases involving organizations like the Catholic Church or Boy Scouts of America, settlements could be in the $100K settlement amount range for even the worst abuses. In cases with smaller class actions or mass torts (less than 50 people), settlement ranges for the highest level of sex abuses can be between $500K and $5MM. 

Legal Bay's loan for settlement funding programs are designed to provide immediate cash in advance of a plaintiff's anticipated monetary award. While it's common to refer to these legal funding requests as settlement loans, loans for settlements, lawsuit loans, loans for lawsuits, etc., the "lawsuit loan" funds are, in fact, non-recourse. That means there's no risk when it comes to loans in lawsuit settlements because there is no obligation to repay the money if the recipient loses their case. Therefore, terms like settlement loan, loans for lawsuit, loans on settlement, or lawsuit loan funds don't necessarily apply, as the "loan on lawsuit" isn't really a loan at all, but rather a stress-free cash advance.

Legal-Bay is known to many as the best legal funding company in the industry for their helpful and knowledgeable staff, and one of the best lawsuit loan companies overall for their low rates and quick turnaround, sometimes within 24-48 hours once all documents have been received.

Amber Cardillo, Legal-Bay's Head of Sex Abuse Funding commented, "We understand the different sex abuse litigations throughout the country better than any other funding company in the industry. Unfortunately, each one is different, and settlement values are based on many factors. We try to work with each victim compassionately and get them the help they need. We welcome all to call and try even if their church is in bankruptcy or if they have been denied additional funding by other companies." 

To apply right now for a loan settlement program, please visit the company's website HERE or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to answer any questions.