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Community Spotlight: Jason Geisker, Head of Claims Funding Australia

By John Freund |
November 11, 2024

Community Spotlight: Jason Geisker, Head of Claims Funding Australia

Jason Geisker is the Head of Claims Funding Australia (CFA), the litigation funding arm and wholly owned subsidiary of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers in Australia. He also serves as a Principal Lawyer at Maurice Blackburn’s Sydney office. With over 30 years of experience in commercial litigation and class actions, Jason has been recognized by his peers in the Doyles’ Guide rankings in Australia as a leading lawyer in commercial litigation/dispute resolution and class actions.

Jason holds a Master of Laws from the University of New South Wales. Since his admission to practice in 1996, he has been involved in several high-profile cases, including shareholder, investor, and consumer class actions. Notably, Jason led the Australian class actions against Volkswagen, Audi, and Skoda following the global ‘dieselgate’ scandal, resulting in settlements exceeding $170 million for over 100,000 Australian motorists.

In more recent years, as Head of CFA, Jason has collaborated with law firms across Australia and New Zealand to fund numerous commercial, insolvency, and class action claims. This includes a +NZD$300 million class action on behalf of approximately 3,000 people affected by the Southern Response insurance scandal following the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011. Under his leadership, CFA has achieved a 94% success rate in its funded cases. Jason is also the co-author of the Australian and New Zealand chapters of ‘The Third Party Funding Law Review’, an annual guide to the law and practice of third party funding, which is currently in its 8th edition.

Company Name and Description: Claims Funding Australia (CFA) is a litigation funding specialist with operations and offices throughout Australia. CFA funds a broad range of litigation in Australia and overseas. Backed by Maurice Blackburn, Australia’s leading class action law firm, CFA is part of the Claims Funding Group, providing third-party litigation funding services across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Founded over a decade ago, CFA has been successful in 94% of its funded cases, recovering almost half a billion dollars for its clients. CFA leverages the expertise, resources, and reputation of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, whose advisory team includes some of the most experienced class action, insolvency, and commercial litigators in Australia. With the solid financial backing of Maurice Blackburn, CFA brings extensive knowledge and experience in litigation and dispute resolution, offering dependable litigation finance. CFA works with a diverse range of clients, including liquidators, trustees, individuals, businesses, and government agencies, sharing Maurice Blackburn’s commitment to providing greater access to justice and leveling the litigation playing field against well-resourced defendants.

Company Website: www.claimsfunding.com.au

Year Founded: 2014

Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia, (with offices in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth)

Area of Focus: Civil, commercial, and insolvency litigation funding across Australia, and class action and commercial litigation funding in New Zealand and Canada.

Member Quote: “Define your goal, assess the cost, commit to the journey, and relish the rewards with peace of mind and no regrets.”

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About the author

John Freund

John Freund

Commercial

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Commercial Regulatory Issues

Sen. Tillis Vows Second Round in Litigation‑Finance Tax Battle

By John Freund |

Sen. Thom Tillis (R–N.C.) said he’s not backing down in his push to impose a special tax on litigation‑finance investors, signalling a new legislative attempt after an initial setback.

According to a report in Bloomberg Law, Tillis introduced the Tackling Predatory Litigation Funding Act earlier this year, which would levy a 41 % tax on profits earned by third‑party funders of civil lawsuits (37 % top individual rate plus 3.8 % net investment income tax). While the bill was included in the Senate Republicans’ version of the tax reconciliation package, the tax provision was ultimately removed by the Senate parliamentarian during the June process.

Tillis argues this is about fairness: he says that litigation‑finance investors enjoy more favourable tax treatment than the victims who receive legal awards, a situation he calls “silly.” He acknowledged the industry’s strong push‑back, noting a high level of lobbying from entities such as the International Legal Finance Association and other funders. “You couldn’t throw a rock and not hit a contract lobbyist who hadn’t been engaged to fight this … equitable tax treatment bill,” he said.

Though Tillis is not seeking re‑election and will leave office next year, he remains committed to using his remaining time to keep the tax issue alive. His remarks suggest this debate is far from over and could resurface in future legislation.

Case Developments Commercial

Hausfeld Secures Landmark £1.5bn Victory Against Apple

Hausfeld has achieved a major breakthrough in the UK’s collective‑action landscape by securing a trial victory against Apple Inc. in a case seeking up to £1.5 billion in damages. The case, brought on behalf of roughly 36 million iPhone and iPad users, challenged Apple’s App Store fees and policies under the UK collective action regime.

According to the article in The Global Legal Post, the action was filed by Dr Rachael Kent (King’s College London) and backed by litigation funder Vannin Capital. Over a 10‑year span, the tribunal found that Apple abused its dominant position by imposing “exclusionary practices” and charging “excessive and unfair” fees on app purchases and in‑app subscriptions.

The judgement, delivered by the ­Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) on 23 October 2025, marks the first collective action under the UK regime to reach a successful trial‐level resolution. The CAT held that Apple’s 30 % fee on these transactions breached UK and EU competition laws and that the restrictions were disproportionate and unnecessary in delivering claimed benefits.

Apple has stated it will appeal the ruling, arguing the decision takes a “flawed view of the thriving and competitive app economy.” Meanwhile, the result is viewed as a significant vindication for collective claimants, with Dr Kent describing it as “a landmark victory … for anyone who has ever felt powerless against a global tech giant.”

Case Developments Commercial

ADF Women Eligible for Class Action Against Commonwealth

Thousands of women who served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) between 12 November 2003 and 25 May 2025 are eligible to join a new class action in the Federal Court of Australia, brought by the law firm JGA Saddler and backed by global litigation funder Omni Bridgeway.

The Nightly reports that according to JGA Saddler lawyer Josh Aylward, the case alleges that the ADF has been afflicted by “sexual violence and discrimination” for decades—despite prior investigations and recommendations. “There is a gendered battlefield within the ADF that female soldiers have been faced with for more than 20 years,” Aylward said.

The claim includes allegations ranging from daily harassment—such as sexist comments and unwanted touching—to physical assaults. One cited case involves a woman pinned against a wall during a night out with colleagues, reporting the incident to military police who declined to prosecute with no explanation offered. The class action marks a bid to hold the Commonwealth to account for systemic issues rather than isolated incidents.

The eligibility window is broad: any woman who served in the ADF during that 2003–2025 period may participate. The class action is expected to become a multi‑million‑dollar claim.