International Legal Finance Association appoints Executive Director and General Counsel

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) has appointed Gary Barnett as Executive Director and General Counsel.  Launched 12 months ago, ILFA (ilfa.com) is the first-ever global association devoted to the growing commercial legal finance industry.

Previously at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Barnett served in various roles since 2017, most recently as Senior Counselor to the Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General. Barnett also served as the DOJ’s Acting Director in the Office of Victims of Crime and Acting Chief of Staff to the Attorney General. Prior to joining the DOJ, he was the Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law. Barnett received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. in History and Economics from Boston University.

Gary Barnett, Executive Director and General Counsel of ILFA said: “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead ILFA and to help shape the future of this important and exciting global industry that provides untold benefits to businesses, consumers, and societies across the world, by supporting a just legal system and the rule of law.”

Leslie Perrin, Chair of ILFA said: “We are thrilled that Gary is leading the charge on behalf of  ILFA’s members to foster the sustainable development of the legal finance industry.  His vast experience within the US Department of Justice, his global perspective and commitment to the rule of law are a huge asset to the Association and its members, as well as users of legal finance around the world.”

ILFA membership includes the world’s leading commercial legal finance firms, who are founding members—Burford Capital, Harbour Litigation Funding, Longford Capital, Omni Bridgeway, Therium and Woodsford Litigation Funding. ILFA is the global voice of the commercial legal finance industry, representing its interests before governmental bodies, international organizations and professional associations and serving as a clearinghouse of relevant information, research and data about the uses and applications of commercial legal finance. Incorporated in Washington, D.C., ILFA also has a significant presence in London, Brussels and Australia.

Since launching in September 2020, eight additional members have joined: Law Finance Group, Nivalion, Parabellum Capital, Innsworth Advisors, D.E. Shaw & Company, Fortress Investment Group, TRGP Capital and Validity Finance. Membership is open to any professional commercial legal finance firm that satisfies ILFA’s membership criteria.

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Legal Bay Presettlement Funding Reports Updates to Zantac Lawsuits

By Harry Moran |

Legal-Bay LLC, a leading pre settlement funding company, reports that November's $2.2 billion ruling against GlaxoSmithKline has still not been distributed to 80,000+ Zantac plaintiffs. The UK-based pharmaceutical company has been the target of numerous lawsuits for the past five years with plaintiffs alleging the popular heartburn medication causes cancer, and that the company failed to warn users that its main ingredient—ranitidine—may be a human carcinogen.

Testing last month determined how such dangerous levels of ranitidine ended up in the antacid product. As it turns out, impurities in the NDMA found in ranitidine increase when exposed to higher temps and humid conditions. Meaning that the Zantac may have been manufactured correctly, but when it was stored in a damp bathroom or glove compartment of a car, users themselves may have unwittingly triggered the very agent that caused their cancer. 

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal Bay, says, "GSK felt it was in the company's best interest to settle the lawsuits in order to appease shareholders rather than draw out litigation endlessly, especially considering they have been able to do so while providing no admission of liability. While we don't have an exact timeline for when payouts are expected to begin, we are nonetheless offering funding for Zantac plaintiffs while they wait."

To apply for a cash advance lawsuit loan from your anticipated GSK Zantac lawsuit settlement, please visit the company's website HERE or call 877.571.0405.   

There is no way to estimate final settlement amounts or how much each plaintiff's case will be worth. Similar case values have been determined based on extent/amount of injuries along with the level of merit to the case. Each case is unique, and many factors go into deciding final damages. For the Zantac lawsuit payouts, plaintiffs will fall into one of three tiers:

  • Tier I:

Tier 1 injuries can expect payouts in the $300,000 range.  Injuries in this tier include cancers of the stomach, prostate, pancreas, or breast.

  • Tier II:

Tier 2 injuries can expect payouts between $80,000 and 160,000 in most cases.  Injuries in this tier include cancers of the major organs like bladder, kidney, or liver.

  • Tier III:

Tier 3 injuries are looking at payouts anywhere between $20,000 and $60,000.  Injuries in this tier vary greatly, but to a lesser extent than Tier I or II.

The verdicts in these lawsuits are wildly inconsistent and entirely unpredictable, and Legal Bay says there are no guarantees of award amounts nor time frames for payouts just based on the sheer number of claims to process. Nevertheless, Legal-Bay is one of the few legal funding companies who are providing some financial relief to Zantac lawsuit plaintiffs and their families with risk-free, non-recourse cash advance settlement loans. They have been a leader in the mass tort and Qui Tam arena for over fifteen years and have vast experience within this space. These litigations are complex, and Legal Bay has the knowledge and understanding to help plaintiffs navigate the complicated waters of the legal system.

If you're a plaintiff in an active GSK Zantac lawsuit and need an immediate cash advance from your anticipated settlement, please visit the company's website HERE or call 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to hear about your specific case. 

Legal-Bay is one of the best lawsuit loan companies when it comes to mass tort and Qui Tam litigations, and has a great reputation within the industry. Legal-Bay assists plaintiffs in all types of class action and mass tort lawsuits, including: Round Up, Hernia Mesh, IVC Filters, Essure, Exactech hip and knee recall, Sex Abuse cases, JUUL, and more.

Legal-Bay assists plaintiffs in all other types of lawsuits including personal injury, dog bites, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, police brutality, unlawful incarceration, workplace discrimination, wrongful termination, and more.

Legal-Bay's 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.

Legal-Bay is known to many as the best lawsuit funding provider in the industry for their helpful and knowledgeable staff, low rates, and quick turnaround, sometimes within 24-48 hours once all documents have been received.

To apply right now for a loan settlement program, please visit the company's website HERE or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to answer any questions.

Latest Burford Quarterly Explores Key Trends Driving Innovation in Commercial Disputes in 2025

By Harry Moran |

Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today releases its latest Burford Quarterly, a journal of legal finance that explores top trends at the nexus of law and finance.

This Burford Quarterly examines the innovative ways in which businesses and law firms are reimagining their financial strategies around commercial disputes. Examples of this include law firms using creative billing structures as alternatives to hourly fees; companies choosing to opt out of litigation to maximize and accelerate recoveries; or businesses monetizing IP assets, allowing for continued investment in other vital areas of the business.

Articles in the Burford Quarterly No.1 2025 include:

  • The innovation engine: Legal finance for forward-thinking law firms

As law firms launch into 2025, a year that promises continued disruption and opportunity, innovation is not a choice—it's an imperative. Forward-thinking firms are reimagining their financial strategies, moving beyond traditional models to embrace legal finance as a critical tool for transformation. In this article, Travis Lenkner and Emily Slater explore innovative ways legal finance is helping firms solve pressing challenges and accelerate growth. 

  • Healthcare antitrust opt-outs: Improving liquidity by monetizing valuable legal claims

An increasing number of healthcare businesses are recognizing the value that legal finance provides in helping to mitigate the financial strain of high-cost litigation and expedite recoveries in high-stakes litigation. Ahead of a March 2025 opt-out deadline for claimants in the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) antitrust class actions, Charles Griffin summarizes insights from a recent webcast in which experts from Burford and Paul Hastings presented factors hospital networks and providers should consider in weighing their options.

  • Legal finance and life sciences: Unlocking IP potential in pharma, biotech and medical devices

Innovation in Europe's life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors is vital, but long R&D cycles and short profit windows pose challenges. Joshua Harris explains how legal finance helps companies protect and monetize IP assets, enabling continued investment in life-saving technologies.

  • International arbitration in London: Next-Gen leaders' perspective

Geoff Nicholas, Christiane Deniger and James MacKinnon lead a Burford roundtable with London-based arbitration lawyers. Partners from A&O Shearman, Debevoise & Plimpton, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and Freshfields share their insights on key trends and challenges shaping international arbitration, including the use of technology and AI and arbitral efficiency.

Aviva Will, President of Burford Capital, says: "While the legal industry may be slow to evolve, legal finance is a powerful tool to drive innovation in the business of law. This issue of the Burford Quarterly highlights key trends in commercial litigation and arbitration in 2025 and shows how litigation funding continues to shape the legal industry. By providing capital and mitigating risk, funding removes barriers for businesses and facilitates growth, and the latest Quarterly brings insights, analysis and real-world examples of tools to help business executives, GCs, CLOs and law firm attorneys recognize and harness the full potential of finance for law."

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, DC, Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any ordinary shares or other securities of Burford.

Rockpoint Legal Funding Highlights TrialBase’s Deposition Services as a Game-Changer for Legal Professionals

By Harry Moran |

Rockpoint Legal Funding is excited to introduce their integration with TrialBase (TrialBase.com), a leader in certified deposition services and legal reporting solutions, as a valuable resource for legal professionals. Attorneys can now instantly apply for litigation funding from Rockpoint directly within Trialbase in order to cover deposition costs on their cases.

TrialBase's cutting-edge deposition management services are uniquely positioned to enhance the efficiency of legal teams, while Rockpoint Legal Funding continues to provide trusted non-recourse funding solutions that empower attorneys to focus on winning cases.

Why TrialBase is an Ideal Resource for Legal Professionals:

Legal professionals often face complex challenges, from managing intricate discovery processes to ensuring financial stability for their clients. Together, TrialBase and Rockpoint Legal Funding can address these issues through:

1.    Streamlined Deposition Services:

TrialBase offers certified deposition management solutions through an integrated platform, helping legal teams save time and enhance case preparation.

2.    Financial Stability for Clients:

Attorneys can use Rockpoint's litigation funding to cover deposition costs and to reduce financial stress - allowing attorneys to focus on their case strategies without unnecessary delays.

3.    Secure Digital Workflow:

Both companies leverage secure, user-friendly platforms, enabling seamless, efficient support for legal professionals.