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Free Conference on Recent Legislative Responses to Litigation Finance

By Harry Moran |

The Center on Civil Justice at New York University School of Law mission is dedicated to the U.S. civil justice system and the continued fulfillment of its purpose. The Center brings together the unmatched strengths of the NYU Law faculty in the fields of procedure and complex litigation with the sophisticated practitioners and judges who make up our Board of Advisers.  Together we endeavor to support our civil courts as a place for people to fairly and efficiently resolve their problems and access justice.

The Center on Civil Justice at NYU School of Law will host a one-day conference on October 28, 2024 on the subject of legislative efforts to regulate third-party legal funding with the goal of connecting the debates on key legal funding issues taking place in academia and among practitioners, lobbyists and legislators, in the US and in Europe.  

The conference will consist of three panels, each focusing on a different legal funding reform effort. These include U.S. legislative efforts to regulate commercial litigation financing and consumer legal funding, in addition to an examination of European and other international legislative attempts to regulate third-party funding. The bill sponsors will be invited to present, along with experts on the topics the bill covers.

The event will take place on October 28, 2024, from 9am – 3:30pm.  We encourage everyone to attend in-person at Greenberg Lounge of Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, NY, NY 10012.

For those who cannot do so, the event will also be livestreamed via Zoom.  A link will be sent out to everyone who RSVPs.

The event is free, and we will be applying for CLE credit. 

Register Here: https://forms.gle/Z5UuQcB2geNhRe7dA.

9:15 AM – 9:30 AM – Opening Remarks

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Panel 1: Disclosure of Commercial Litigation Financing Agreements

While much of the state legislation enacted on third-party litigation finance has focused on consumer legal funding, states and the federal government have begun to think about the regulation of commercial litigation funding as well.  Specifically, the issue of whether, under what circumstances, and to what extent to disclose commercial third-party funding has been one of the most significant policy questions facing the industry for years.   Legislation has been introduced or passed in West Virginia, Wisconsin, and US Congress regarding disclosure of commercial funding agreements, and we will discuss these bills and others and how they will impact the commercial funding landscape.

11:15 AM – 12:45 PM – Panel 2: New York A.115 – Consumer Funding

Much, if not most, state legislation focuses specifically on consumer legal funding and not commercial litigation financing.  New York State alone has five different such bills.  This panel chooses to focus on A.115, which has passed the New York State Senate but not the Assembly – the bill that has so far advanced the furthest.  This bill caps returns to funders at the military lending rate.  Other bills do not place such a cap at all but require full disclosure of the contract.  This panel will discuss what is the best way forward to regulate the product in New York and across the country.

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM – Lunch

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Panel 3: EU P9_TA (2022) 0308 – International Legislation

In 2022, the EU Parliament adopted a resolution to introduce legislation creating minimum standards for third-party funding in the EU.  The European Commission has yet to submit a formal proposal for the EU Parliament and European Commission to consider.  However, the principals outlined in the resolution highlight many significant discussion points within the industry and demonstrate the state of international regulation of the industry.

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM – Closing Remarks

RSVP for the event here: https://forms.gle/Z5UuQcB2geNhRe7dA.

About the author

Harry Moran

Harry Moran

Consumer

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Florida Funder Targeted by Class Action over Data Breach

By Harry Moran |

Whilst funders are often eager to support class actions on behalf of customers who have been harmed by cybersecurity attacks on other companies, a new complaint filed in Florida seeks to represent individuals who suffered losses because of a funder’s own data breach.

Reporting by Insurance Journal covers a class action that has been filed targeting litigation funder US Claims Capital over allegations that it failed to protect its clients’ personal data. The filing of the claim in the U.S. District Court in Miami follows a data breach in January of this year, with the plaintiff alleging that the funder had not implemented sufficient cybersecurity measures and therefore had not properly secured the personal data of the plaintiffs it had provided funding to.

The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is a Kansas resident named as Timothy Vactor, with the complaint looking to represent other plaintiffs and clients of US Claims whose personal data was exposed as part of the cyberattack. The filing argued that due to the breach, the plaintiffs’ “private information is forever exposed and unsecure”, and that the “exposure of one’s private information to cybercriminals is a bell that cannot be un-rung”.

The funder had reportedly informed plaintiffs it had worked with of the data breach in a letter sent on April 11, over three months after the cyberattack on January 7. The letter informed US Claims’ clients that “certain information related to you may have been acquired by an unauthorized individual as part of the event”. The funder subsequently provided these individuals with an insurance policy in case they had suffered financial losses, as well as some assistance around identity theft protection and cyber monitoring.

At the time of reporting, US Claims has not filed a response to the complaint.

34% of Americans Trust ChatGPT Over Human Experts, But Not for Legal or Medical Advice

By Harry Moran |

A newly released study from Express Legal Funding, conducted with the help of SurveyMonkey, reveals that while 34% of Americans say they trust ChatGPT more than human experts, the majority still draw a hard line when it comes to using generative AI for serious matters like legal or medical advice. The findings highlight a growing national tension between fascination with artificial intelligence and fear of misusing it for high-stakes decisions.

Key Findings from the ChatGPT Trust Survey:

  • 60% of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT to seek advice or information—signaling widespread awareness and early adoption.
  • Of those who used it, 70% said the advice was helpful, suggesting that users generally find value in the chatbot's responses.
  • The most trusted use cases for ChatGPT are:
    • Career advice
    • Educational support
    • Product recommendations
  • The least trusted use cases are:
    • Legal advice
    • Medical advice
  • 34% of respondents say they trust ChatGPT more than a human expert in at least one area.
  • Despite its growing popularity, only 11.1% believe ChatGPT will improve their personal financial situation.
  • Younger adults (ages 18–29) and Android and iPhone users report significantly higher trust in ChatGPT compared to older generations and Desktop (Mac/Windows) users.
  • Older adults and high-income earners remain the most skeptical about ChatGPT's reliability and societal role.
  • When asked about the broader implications of AI, only 14.1% of respondents strongly agree that ChatGPT will benefit humanity.

Expert Insight:

"This study highlights how many Americans are navigating the fast-growing influence of generative AI and natural language processing agents in their daily lives and that ChatGPT is far from being just a fringe use tool," said Aaron Winston, PhD, Strategy Director at Express Legal Funding and lead author of the report. "Most people are open to using ChatGPT for advice—and over a third even say they trust it more than a human expert. But when it comes to high-stakes decisions involving legal, financial, or medical matters, most still prefer real-world professionals. It's a sign that while AI is gaining ground quickly, trust is still tied to context."

Why It Matters:

As AI tools like ChatGPT become more integrated into everyday life, understanding where people draw the line between curiosity and trust is critical. This distinction helps reveal not only how Americans are using AI today but also where they're still relying on human expertise for reassurance and accuracy.

About Express Legal Funding:

Express Legal Funding is a leading pre-settlement funding company headquartered in Plano, Texas, serving plaintiffs nationwide. Recognized for its commitment to ethical funding practices and consumer advocacy, the firm provides non-recourse financial support to individuals involved in personal injury and civil lawsuits—helping clients cover essential living expenses while their legal claims move forward. Beyond funding, Express Legal Funding is a trusted voice in the legal tech and finance space, publishing original research and data-driven insights that inform public discourse and guide industry best practices.

Legal-Bay Lawsuit Funder Launches Legal Funding Calculator for Consumers

By Harry Moran |

Legal Bay Presettlement Funding announces their new funding calculator for customers to compare pricing models of lawsuit loans between funding firms. It should be noted that Legal Bay doesn't charge compounding interest like many other legal funding companies, keeping payback costs lower right from the start. As one of the best lawsuit loan companies in the industry, Legal Bay ensures flat pricing, transparent contracts, and a helpful, knowledgeable staff to walk you through every step of the lawsuit loan funding process.

  1. Legal Bay is a direct funder—not a legal funding broker—which is the first distinction customers should make when researching legal funding options. Here's why:
  2. Being a direct funder allows Legal Bay to expedite cases faster, normally within 24-48 hours after applying, once all documents have been received.
  3. Being a direct funder allows Legal Bay to provide lawsuit loans with cap out provisions for cases that qualify without additional broker fees.
  4. Compound rates can grow substantially over the course of your case settlement funding, while flat interest stays the same at about 20% percent every 6 months.
  5. Legal Bay's lawsuit settlement programs are non-recourse which means the client will not have to pay back the loan if the case does not settle.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay, commented, "Our funding calculator gives consumers an invaluable tool to compare payback costs. Plaintiffs will see that our direct funder platform means you deal directly with our staff and underwriters—not a broker. Our direct funding model allows for the fastest approvals, reduced rates, and no added broker fees, keeping your costs low. Legal-Bay's flat pricing—as opposed to compounding interest—and our best price guarantee ensures the lowest rates in the litigation finance industry. On large funding amounts, consumers should be aware of payback costs. The savings of Legal-Bay's flat-rate pricing versus contracts with compounding interest can be substantial."

Legal-Bay's funding model is designed to put more money back in the plaintiff's pocket at settlement. If you or a loved one need an immediate lawsuit loan in advance of your impending lawsuit settlement, please apply online HERE or call toll free at 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by.

Legal-Bay assists plaintiffs in all types of lawsuits, including commercial and mass tort litigation, personal injury cases, slip and fall accidents, property damage, car accidents, medical malpractice, wildfires, and many more. If you're looking for the lowest rates in legal funding, legal funding companies without broker, flat rate pricing or simple pricing legal funding companies, easy to use funding calculator, calculator for lawsuit loans, then Legal Bay is here to help.

Their 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, law suit 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.

For more information about lawsuit loans, please visit us HERE or call toll free at 877.571.0405 where a skilled agent can answer any questions you may have.