David Prager of Duff & Phelps, Howard Brod Brownstein of The Brownstein Corporation, Tatiana Markel of BakerHostetler, and Ken Epstein of Omni Bridgeway engaged in a virtual discussion on dispute funding for financially distressed companies. This two-part podcast was produced by Turnaround Times.
The gender gap in the legal industry is easy to recognize, thanks to Burford’s 2020 Equity Project study. But recognizing the problem is only half the battle. Origination credit continues to be a sticking point—as women consistently receive less than their fair share. This fuels a cycle of inequity that can reverberate through a law firm and beyond.
You don’t have to know everything about cryptocurrency to know that it’s changing the investment landscape in major ways. Avalanche, a competitor to crypto giant Ethereum, enjoyed a robust opening followed by steady gains. Now speculation abounds about how big Avalanche can grow, and who might be edged out in the process.
As investors remain wary of the stock market, they’re left wondering how to invest effectively. Litigation Funding may prove an attractive alternative for investors depending on their risk tolerance. Litigation funding is uncorrelated to stock trading, and largely insulated from economic conditions.
Liquidators are sometimes ordered to pay costs, which is not a situation any want to be in. Liquidators have a duty to examine what led up to the liquidation, and to bring and defend a legal case if applicable. But if they lose, costs can be awarded against them personally.
A settlement in a case over PFAS contamination has claimants enraged. In 2015, residents were told by a local newspaper article that their water supply had been tainted by PFAS. The chemical had been used in foam used to combat fires. Not unexpectedly, property values plummeted and local businesses suffered.
Third-party legal funding has been in use in the United States, the UK, and Australia for over a decade. Now we see it moving into the Middle East and Asia. This may be illustrated most clearly in the construction field, where cross-jurisdictional cases are now making use of the practice.
Manchester tech company Nanoco Group has expressed confidence in its legal action against Samsung. The tech business is pursuing a case for IP infringement against the electronics leader. Nanoco has also revealed signing a litigation funding agreement with an as-yet-unnamed American litigation funder.
Earlier this week, LFJ released its latest podcast episode, featuring Elena Rey of Brown Rudnick. Elena discussed her effort to introduce model documentation to the litigation funding industry, including the founding of the Litigation Funding Working Group, which brings together litigation funders, insurers, legal experts and others to help formulate model documentation for use in the UK, EU and elsewhere.
A class action against credit giant, Mastercard, could net UK claimants a cool GBP 300 apiece. The two-day Competition Appeal Tribunal hearing is scheduled for March 25th. As the case awaits certification, Mastercard maintains that it does not agree with the claim and that it intends to fight back.
Security for costs is still a contentious issue in the Litigation Finance community. An English Court of Appeal ruling was clear in its message that third-party litigation funders should be ready to provide evidence of their ability to cover an adverse costs order.
A report released by Burford Capital this week reveals that the funder has had its best year ever for recoveries. At the same time, profits shrank from the previous year. Burford suggests that the pandemic didn’t have the detrimental impact on business that was originally suspected.
Compared to the rest of the continent, South African laws regarding third party litigation funding are advanced. Compared to the rest of the developed world, however, the country is lagging behind. Legislation is minimal, and court decisions are decided on the basis of precedent rather than law. Could that be changing?
Claims of direct losses and loss of opportunity are some of the accusations being levied regarding the collapse of the Woodford Equity Income Fund. The claim, led by RGL Management group, is against Link Fund Solutions as well as Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management.
At last, at least 15,000 seaweed farmers in Indonesia will be compensated by the oil company responsible for one of Australia’s largest oil spills. West Timor farmers were devastated by the spill, which covered more than 240 kilometers of seaweed crops nearly 12 years ago. Harbour provided third-party funding for the action.
A CrowdJustice appeal has been launched to cover legal fees, as homeowner John Gaskell seeks justice for a home beset by problems. While Gaskill points to issues involving heating and insulation, plumbing, and disability access compliance, the developer describes these issues as ‘cosmetic.’
Competition between law firms in London just got a little more fierce. Byrne and Partners and PCB Litigation have merged—with Burford Capital’s blessing. The deal will go live next month when PCB Litigation moves into the Byrne and Partners offices. This will result in a firm led by 15 partners.
Australia’s predilection for over-regulating litigation funders is on display again. A proposed 30% limit on gross returns to funders could devastate funding for class actions. New research from PwC’s Jeremy Thorpe suggests that even a 36% return rate for funders would fail to cover even basic legal costs.
The financial world has been on the receiving end of investor-related whimsy of late. Bizarre and unexpected high-end investments are taking financial pros by surprise. But what is driving these unusual, sometimes even hilarious, investments?
