Global Class Actions Meet Corporate Governance
The legal landscape is always changing, and watching for trends is vital for savvy firms and investors. Currently, a convergence of two forces is leading to widespread changes in the industry. First, class actions and other types of collective redress cases are increasing in popularity and validity. Also, corporations are becoming increasingly responsible toward communities, the environment, and stewardship of investor interests. Omni Bridgeway explains that around the world, standard principles are being informally adopted by multiple markets. Now that collective redress and class action suits are more viable than ever, there’s an expectation of a rise in claimants and new cases surrounding environmental and social issues—as well as cases relating to a business’ responsibility to investors. For a long time, the United States was a leader in class action filings. The rest of the world is catching up quickly though, owing in no small part to third-party legal funding. The European Union released a proposal detailing provisions encouraging consumers and investors to address unlawful deeds even in cross-border situations. The Netherlands Collective Damages Act came into law. It allows for surrogates to bring damages on behalf of wronged parties in international class actions. The new law also allows courts to award damages without requiring a settlement to be reached. This means that the looming threat of court-awarded damages can be the impetus to get parties to the bargaining table. Class action cases involving the environment, social issues, or governance can be well-served by litigation funding. International class actions can be costly and take years to conclude. An influx of non-recourse funding may be exactly what’s needed to bring a case to completion without adding financial strain. As the legal industry develops and adapts to changing circumstances, it’s clear that the role of litigation funding will continue to change with it.