What is litigation finance?

Posted by Ridgemont LLC on September 4th, 2019

Litigation finance is also known as third party finance or litigation funding. It is the supply of capital to a law firm or claim holder in exchange for some part of the proceeds from arbitration or litigation. The main feature of the litigation funding is that possibility is usually limited to the income of the arbitration/litigation settlement or award, which means the funding group has to pay only to the litigation funder in case the party settles the case or win it.

PROCESS

While every litigation finance firm has a little different process, but there are some steps which are generally-practiced in order to protect the finance firm and the group who may accept funding.

Initial Discussions:-

During the first engagement, funder discusses popular information regarding the claim to assess the fit quickly within their list of cases and in order to decide what due attentive steps to draw. Usually, this is a phone call with a party and few attorneys who are already included in the case.

It is unnecessary to make a lawyer reach a litigation financer. Often a party needs funding to be able to manage a good lawyer. But mostly lawyers approach the litigation funders first. The group and the lawyers must enter into (NDA) non-disclosure agreement to make sure the confidential information which is shared is protected and secured from discovery.  

Documentation and Investment Terms:-

At this mark, whatever happens, the attorneys and business have a complete understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and merits of the claim. With an understanding and successful due diligence procedure completed where all the facts and figures are taken care of, the litigation financer now spreads proposed terms.

The lawyers and the party must have a look at the innovative of the term, especially if the funding is non-recourse or recourse and if it is a fixed amount or a percentage of all the proceeds. They must review the final agreement thoroughly and expect to sign on the documents. A firm must consider these truths in seeking third-party financing and evaluating terms:

  • Settlement Authority
  • Commitment to the Fund
  • Reserve Capitalization
  • Attorney Confidentially and Independence

Funding:-

The process of funding is dependent completely on the transaction form the funder, and the party agrees to; it can differ depending on the precise of the underlying litigation. It is very common for a litigation funder to invest in the claim holder directly, and give separate fees for funding, operations, and expenses.

Monitoring:-

The financer observes the case properly on a high level while it gets through the court. They certainly do not practice control about what the clients or attorneys do past the terms and conditions of the agreement with their client. The lawyers and the party should expect to maintain the litigation financer estimate not of strategic legal affairs but any award or settlement.

Resolution:-

If the group obtains or settles an approving decision and accepts an award, then they give payment to the litigation financer any agreed amount of money upon, receiving a profit on their capital. In case the party receives nothing, and funding was also non-recourse, the party will pay nothing to the financer.

BENEFITS

Litigation finance gives benefits to defendants, law firms and attorneys, investors, and plaintiffs seeking to modify their portfolios. At the very basic level, third-party funding levels the legal working field by giving money to undercapitalized defendants who whether couldn’t chase meritorious claims, or give additional investment to ongoing cases where defendants face finance shortages.

Strategically, third-party litigation finance allows a group to assign better value towards a claim, optimize the use of money, maintain operations, and manage risk while deciding how and when to chase meritorious litigation. Precisely, litigation funding offers:

Businesses

  • Access to chief legal talent which is otherwise unreachable due to economic constraint
  • Access to formerly unavailable investment to chase meritorious legal requests
  • A substitute to early case settlement
  • Risk reduction for the costly and often long litigation funding process
  • Expansion in a list of the legal claims
  • Opportunity to receive cases from insufficient funding by claim holders
  • Further resources wanted for the litigation expenses
  • Access to the advanced asset category
  • Returns which are uncorrelated to investment markets
  • Complimentary historical profits compared to other substitute asset categories
  • Average time to interchangeability versus the other substitute investments

Law Firms and Attorneys

  • Expansion in a list of the legal claims
  • Opportunity to receive cases from insufficient funding by claim holders
  • Further resources wanted for the litigation expenses

Investors

  • Access to the advanced asset category
  • Returns which are uncorrelated to investment markets
  • Complimentary historical profits compared to other substitute asset categories
  • Average time to interchangeability versus the other substitute investments

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Ridgemont LLC

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Ridgemont LLC
Joined: September 4th, 2019
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