News and analysis dedicated to the consumer legal funding sector including mass torts, regulatory issues, case developments, funding activities, and more.

Like a lot of things in America, the pursuit of justice can be out of reach for all but the wealthy. To pursue a case in the US, litigants have…

Law firms that rely on contingency fee structures will soon feel the impact of the pandemic, if they haven’t already. Many contingency fee law firms experienced an immediate slowdown in…

Florida’s Daily Business Review’s Best of 2021 has recognized Advocate Capital as a top litigation funding firm.  Read More…

Pre-settlement funding is a financing tool for claimants who need access to capital in order to invest the necessary resources to succeed at litigation. Prudence requires all members of a…

Texas Lawyer Magazine crowned Advocate Capital one of the top three Consumer Litigation Funding Providers across two of Texas’s major metropolitan areas for 2021.    Read More…

Despite an announcement that assets reached more than GBP 200 million in 2019, Novitas Loans recently announced that it will stop funding new customers. The statement affirmed that the company…

Sometimes referred to as ‘lawsuit loans,’ funds given by third-party legal funders are not loans at all. Loans are paid back, typically with interest, regardless of what happens with the…

Craig Mitnick is a New Jersey lawyer who represented hundreds of current and former players in a settlement with the NFL. After taking part in a $1 billion settlement, Mitnick is now fighting an order to repay loans from a litigation funder amounting to more than $2 million. He has asked a federal judge to vacate the award to the finance company Balanced Bridge (formerly Thrivest), which also made settlement advances to former NFL players.

Litigation Finance has grown exponentially in recent years, with legislation trying to catch up. Opponents of the practice warn of frivolous litigation and usurious lending rates—owing to involvement from venture capitalists and other high-end investors. A recent New York Post editorial demanded increased oversight and new legislation governing the practice.

After last year’s report on nuclear verdicts in trucking cases, the American Transportation Research Institute has released a new study—this time examining the impact of small verdicts and settlements on the trucking industry. In it, it’s suggested that smaller verdicts may be causing a spike in insurance prices.

Craig Mitnick, a New Jersey lawyer who represented hundreds of NFL players in a concussion settlement, has asked a federal judge to vacate the award to a litigation funder. Balanced Bridge Funding (formerly Thrivest) provided advances to former players while they waited for settlement monies. Mitnick has been ordered by an arbitrator to repay more than $2 million in loans.

Erika Girardi’s legal troubles are far from over, it seems. A lawsuit filed by Tom Girardi’s former co-counsel alleges that she is responsible for fees that were misappropriated by her husband’s firm, Girardi Keese. The former Mrs. Girardi has called their claims unenforceable, as they are allegedly based on an “illegal and unethical” funding agreement.

Litigation lending has a reputation for unscrupulous, or even predatory behavior. One such lender, KrunchCash, was recently accused of squandering a large investment, hiding relevant information, and using threats to intentionally amplify risk to that investment.

Attorney Farva Jafri has been ordered to show cause as to why she should avoid disciplinary action for missing oral arguments in a recent case. The Seventh Circuit panel had ordered Farva to appear in court on the matter of costs. Farva did not.

Can a former CEO simply not show up for a court date? Not without consequences. Earlier this week, former Oasis CEO Gary Chodes was required to appear before the Seventh Circuit Court for oral arguments. These pertained to a resolved trademark dispute and the allocation of appeal costs. Judge Easterbrook presided, stating that there were valid reasons the motion to vacate could not be approved.

October is known by some as “Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Month,” referring to an alleged scourge of abuse of the legal system. One purported example is a recent $80 million judgement against Monsanto, a subsidy of Bayer. After a jury determined in 2018 that the pesticide Roundup caused cancer, ATRA President Tiger Joyce claimed it was based on “junk science.”

Solicitor XY, so named because her mental health could be damaged if her name is revealed, has been charged with doctoring invoices to steal funds. Her client, Hanadi Rafraf, sustained injuries in a car accident and was later awarded more than $450,000. Yet her lawyer gave her documents signed by a claims assessor explaining that she would receive $132,000 less than her stated award.

A fifth member of a slip-and-fall fraud ring was arrested and charged in a Manhattan Federal Court. The scheme, which amounts to more than $30 million, appears to have begun in 2013. Adrian Alexander, age 75, has been charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for his alleged attempts to gain fraudulent insurance reimbursements. The case will be heard by US District Judge Sidney H Stein.

Legal troubles for Tom Girardi and his wife, reality star Erika Jayne of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, are still mounting. Now there’s word that a bankruptcy trustee will be hiring a firm to investigate an allegation that attorney Tom Girardi’s lenders were aware of fraudulent cash transfers in the millions.

It’s not unusual for plaintiffs to need extra money before their case is adjudicated. An accident victim, for example, can’t wait years to pay medical bills or replace their car. Pre-settlement funding can help those who find themselves needing an influx of cash as they await the outcome of their lawsuit.

In 2017, RD Legal Funding was sued by the New York attorney general. It was accused of deceptive business practices with regard to 9/11 victim advance compensation, as well as NFL concussion settlements.