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Legal-Bay Announces that PG&E has Established a $105MM Fund to Pay for Negligence Claims in California Wildfires

Legal-Bay Announces that PG&E has Established a $105MM Fund to Pay for Negligence Claims in California Wildfires

PARADISE, Calif.Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Legal Bay Lawsuit Funding reports that as of last month, residents of northern California who have been displaced by the 2017 wildfires and 2018 Camp Fire can apply for aid through the Wildfire Assistance Program. The $105 million fund was approved by the judge during PG&E’s Chapter 11 case, and will be made available via the company’s cash reserves. It is intended to help the uninsured and/or anyone who needs financial assistance with housing costs or even daily living expenses while they rebuild their lives. Applications for funding are now open. Supplemental payments will be distributed to families who are facing extraordinary hardship and loss in communities that were severely impacted by the fires. But even before then, applicants can request a “Basic Unmet Needs” payment of $5000 per household upon establishing that they’ve met the basic eligibility requirements. But for victims of such a devastating disaster, $5000 is not nearly enough. If you have filed a wildfire lawsuit and need an immediate cash advance against your pending settlement, you can apply for presettlement funding at:  http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com or call: 877.571.0405 The victims of California’s “Camp Fire” had filed suit against the PG&E Corporation, alleging that the utility company was responsible for the fire that has killed and injured hundreds of people and destroyed nearly 19,000 homes and businesses. It is the deadliest fire in the state’s history. The Camp Fire has caused irreparable damage to the town of Paradise, about 175 miles north of San Francisco. The flames spread throughout the town and surrounding areas, causing devastating property damage and personal injury, and in the case of at least 85 people, even death. The plaintiffs allege that PG&E failed to properly maintain, repair, and replace its equipment, and that such conduct contributed to the cause of the devastating Camp Fire. The lawsuit also addresses how the state pays for damages caused by wildfires generated by faulty utility company equipment. PG&E has apologized for starting the fire, and established the $105 million fund to resolve the many lawsuits the company is facing. The global settlement applies to all lawsuits filed regarding the Northern California Wildfires of 2017 and the Camp Fire of 2018. There was a concern that PG&E would seek recovery costs from its customers in the form of inflated pricing, but that notion has since been dispelled. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation into law last month which also establishes a general insurance fund to pay for damages caused by utility companies. He believes the new law will enact safer and more reliable energy sources along with guaranteeing that wildfire victims don’t get shoved to the sidelines and forgotten. The state has pushed for cleaner energy sources, and this latest PG&E debacle gives California a good argument for progressing forward. The filing deadline is November 15, 2019. If claims are not filed by this date, plaintiffs will not be able to recover damages. If you have not yet filed your Camp Fire lawsuit against PG&E and need help finding a lawyer or law firm that specializes in wildfire lawsuits, Legal-Bay will be able to offer referrals. It is difficult to prove negligence on the part of the utility companies. There must be strong evidence of a utility company showing blatant irresponsibility and lack of reason when it comes to wildfire prevention. But Legal-Bay believes that with the recent court verdicts, wildfire legislation, and PG&E’s outright admission of guilt, plaintiffs stand a great chance of coming out ahead. Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay, commented on the recent uptick in wildfire lawsuits, “The victims of this horrific tragedy have already suffered enough, but now they are forced to wait it out as their lawsuits lag in the court system. In the meantime, pre settlement funding is available to plaintiffs who need money now to survive until their wildfire lawsuit against PG&E makes it to trial. Victims of this preventable disaster need to rebuild their homes and their lives, and Legal-Bay is happy to help in any small way we can.” If you have filed a wildfire lawsuit and need an immediate cash advance against your pending settlement, you can apply for presettlement funding at:  http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com or call: 877.571.0405 Legal-Bay’s programs are non-recourse lawsuit cash advances, also known as case funding, which means you only repay the settlement advance if you win your case. None of the programs should be considered to be a lawsuit loan, lawsuit loans, settlement loans, settlement loan, pre-settlement loans, or a pre-settlement loan. Contact: 
Chris Janish, CEO 
Email:  info@Legal-Bay.com  
Ph.: 877.571.0405
SOURCE Legal-Bay LLC
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Burford’s Q2 Profits Surge on New Capital

By John Freund |

Burford Capital has delivered its strongest quarterly performance in two years, buoyed by a swelling pipeline of high-value disputes and a fresh infusion of investor cash.

A press release in PR Newswire reveals that the New York- and London-listed funder more than doubled revenue and profitability in the three months to 30 June 2025. CEO Christopher Bogart credited “very substantial levels of new business” for the uptick, noting that demand for non-recourse financing remains “as strong as we’ve ever seen.”

The stellar quarter follows a lightning-quick, two-day debt offering in July that raised $500 million—capital Burford says will be deployed across a growing roster of commercial litigations, international arbitrations, and asset-recovery campaigns. Management also highlighted significant progress in portfolio rotations, underscoring the firm’s ability to monetise older positions while writing new ones at scale. Investors will get a deeper dive when Burford hosts its earnings call today at 9 a.m. EDT.

Burford’s results arrive amid heightened regulatory chatter in Washington and Westminster, yet the numbers suggest the industry’s largest player is unfazed—for now—by talk of disclosure mandates and tax levies. The firm emphasised that its legal-finance, risk-management and asset-recovery businesses remain uncorrelated to broader markets, a pitch that continues to resonate with pension funds and endowments hunting for alternative yield.

For litigation-finance insiders, Burford’s capital-raising prowess and improving margins could have ripple effects: rival funders may face stiffer competition for marquee cases, while law-firm partners might leverage the firm’s deeper pockets to negotiate richer portfolio deals.

International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) Announces End of Year Gala and Inaugural Legal Finance Awards

By John Freund |

 The International Legal Finance Association is pleased to announce its annual End-of-Year Gala Dinner on November 13, 2025.  The event will take place at The Law Society in London, bringing together leading figures from across the legal finance industry for an evening of celebration and reflection on the year’s achievements.  

The dinner will be accompanied by the inaugural Legal Finance Awards.  The awards are designed to recognize and honor excellence across the legal finance ecosystem. They will spotlight the achievements of funders, law firms, brokers, advisors, and other key contributors to the continued growth and innovation of the industry. Nominations for the awards are now open, with the nomination form available here

“The Gala Dinner is a chance for our members and guests to gather in person and celebrate the progress we've made over the year,” said Rupert Cunningham, Global Director of Growth and Membership Engagement at ILFA. “We are especially excited to launch the Legal Finance Awards, which will shine a light on the outstanding work and impact of professionals across our field.”

Tickets for the Gala are on sale now, with discounted pricing available for ILFA members.  More information can be found here.

Sentry Expands Free Funding Market Search for Litigators

By John Freund |

Sentry Funding’s free tool enabling litigators to instantly search the funding market on behalf of clients has been expanded.

Sentry’s free ‘decision in principle’ feature enables lawyers to evidence to clients that they have conducted a broad market search, even if funding is not ultimately taken out.

Having deployed £125m in funding across a range of case types, Sentry now has access to an even broader funding marketplace, covering 34 global jurisdictions. Finance is provided by 13 funders, five of which are members of the Association of Litigation Funders.

With the recent addition of Sentry’s first US-based funder, the US offering will now be expanding over the next few months. 

A faster process

Sentry has deployed the latest technology to make the search for funding even easier. 

  • The intuitive application process now only asks questions relevant to previous answers, saving lawyers time.
  • The commercial marketplace has been redeveloped with 63 new data points added to the funder criteria matrix - improving the accuracy of case / funder matching
  • Sentry has also begun building out its AI capabilities, starting with an automated auditing tool for live case progression audits. 

Tom Webster, chief executive officer at Sentry Funding, said:

‘By broadening our reach and speeding up the process, we’re making it even easier for lawyers to raise funding. We’re also giving litigators an easy way to show clients they have fully researched the market, rather than just approaching one or two funders. 

‘The service is free to use, so even if clients decide they do not ultimately want funding or if none is available for that case, for the lawyer, it makes sense to use our “decision in principle” feature, so they can put evidence on file that they did check the market.’

Sentry Funding is an SaaS (software as a service) technology provider that gives solicitors access to a diverse marketplace of litigation funders. It works with solicitors, funders and third-party providers to ensure claimants are getting the most efficient service for their funding needs. 

The Sentry Portal also acts as a case management system that runs a transparent digital case file for solicitors, funders, after-the-event insurance providers, barristers, cost lawyers and other relevant third parties.