As an attorney and VP at Milestone, Sam Dolce provides in-depth, comprehensive consultations with attorneys about how to save their firms time and money. Sam is a regular speaker and presenter at academic and legal conferences across the country regarding post-settlement innovation.
Milestone is a high-touch settlement solutions firm on mission to bring efficiency, transparency, and education to law firms and their clients after settlement. An innovator in mass tort and multi-party litigation, Milestone has developed Pathway®, the leading tech solution in the post-settlement space. Milestone was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.
Below is our LFJ Conversation with Sam Dolce:
Milestone has launched an innovative mass tort settlement administration platform. What are the main value-adds here? Why should users consider this product?
Milestone’s Pathway® platform shortens case duration in mass tort litigation by digitizing the post-settlement process.
In addition to providing a more streamlined, accommodating, and informed post-settlement process for claimants, Pathway also serves law firms’ bottom lines. The platform saves law firms time and money, relieving them of the administrative burden of managing post-settlement. Pathway is also the first solution to provide real-time visibility into the settlement process for both claimants and attorneys, fostering transparency and trust and ensuring all parties know where money is at any given time.
By engaging and implementing Pathway, law firms are able to allocate resources more effectively and focus on core competencies. The automation of time-consuming tasks frees attorneys and support staff up to handle more complex legal matters and provide higher-quality client service.
How would litigation funders benefit specifically from Milestone’s new platform?
Pathway’s competencies serve the interests of litigation funders in impactful ways.
By speeding up the post-settlement process, Pathway can help litigation funders realize faster returns on their investments. Reduced operational costs through automation and efficiency also lead to higher profit margins. A streamlined post-settlement process can reduce the risk of errors, disputes, and delays.
Pathway’s backend, real-time dashboard is also a game changer for litigation funders, giving them the ability to check in on cash flow or case performance at any given time.
Additionally, law firms that use Pathway can position themselves as more efficient and technologically advanced, attracting top talent and more clients.
What are some of the current trends in settlement administration in the mass tort space, and how is Milestone addressing those?
As corporate negligence shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, we are seeing the number and scale of mass tort cases trending steadily upward across the board. Milestone’s Pathway virtually eliminates any strain that this increased workload could place on law firms by processing tens of thousands of claims in record time and getting full dockets paid in a matter of weeks or months.
Another trend is that with these expanding dockets, attorneys have less and less time to provide individualized attention and guidance to each claimant. With this, it is becoming more common for claimants to lose out on the opportunity to financially plan with their settlement monies, as many don’t become aware of this possibility until it is too late. Pathway ensures that education around settlement planning is baked into the administration process, meaning that claimants get an elevated, customized post-settlement experience, ultimately increasing overall client satisfaction for the law firm.
What have users been saying about the product? Can you share any feedback?
Numerous law firms have praised Pathway for its efficiency, accuracy, and ease of use. Testimonials from both law firms and claimants highlight the positive impact of the platform on the post-settlement experience.
“All directions and steps were easy to follow regarding a payment, and the support team can be easily reached when having issues or need to get into contact with somebody.” – Claimant who went through Pathway
“What an incredible company! These folks CARE about their clients…I’m not an attorney, but if I were I would certainly be going through Milestone for any mass tort settlement planning!! On the side of customer service—WOW!! I am thoroughly impressed with the stark professionalism and friendliness I experienced throughout the process!” – Claimant who went through Pathway
“The work that Milestone does is absolutely vital to the success of multi-district litigation. Getting to a number in litigation is very hard, but that’s only part of the battle. How you then get that distributed to clients is the other. How do you communicate with 200,000 people and make sure they have access to the money and understand what’s going on with their cases?” – Attorney client
“Faster than AI, they’re totally raising the bar.” – Claimant who went through Pathway
Litigation funding and mass torts are growing more interconnected. How do you see these two sectors evolving over the coming years?
Litigation funding and mass torts are both prominent forces in shaping the legal landscape today and into the future, so it makes sense that they’ll grow more interconnected as the years go on.
As more mass torts arise, more substantial financial backing will be needed for firms to be able to take on cases of such large scale. Litigation funders will also likely play a more active role in early case evaluation, helping law firms identify which mass torts to take on. The influx of litigation funding will likely also lead to more innovative fee arrangements between mass tort law firms and their clients. And with litigation funders providing financial backing, we’re likely to see more mass tort firms pursuing litigation rather than being swayed to settle early.
There are countless challenges that come along with this intertwined trajectory, but along with those come many opportunities. Milestone is dedicated to ensuring that ethical considerations and the good of the plaintiff remain at the heart of mass tort operations while simultaneously increasing revenue for litigation funders and law firms.