Alternative Litigation Financing in the United States

Alternative Litigation Financing in the United States
Author: Steven Garber
Publisher: RAND Corporation
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2010
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780833049902

Download Alternative Litigation Financing in the United States Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Alternative litigation financing (ALF)--also known as "third-party" litigation financing--refers to provision of capital by parties other than plaintiffs, defendants, their lawyers, or defendants' insurers to support litigation-related activity. This paper describes the ALF industry as of early 2010 and discusses the legal ethics, social morality, and, especially, potential economic effects of ALF.

A Legal Ethics Perspective on Alternative Litigation Financing

A Legal Ethics Perspective on Alternative Litigation Financing
Author: W. Bradley Wendel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2014
Genre:
ISBN:

Download A Legal Ethics Perspective on Alternative Litigation Financing Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

One of the foundational principles of legal ethics is that the lawyer owes an obligation of undivided loyalty to the client, and no other interests or relationships can be permitted to interfere with the lawyer's exercise of independent professional judgment on behalf of the client. The strongest non-consequentialist doctrinal objection to third-party litigation funding is that it may compromise the lawyer's independence. Yet this argument cannot be made in too strong a form, because lawyers are already permitted to enter into relationships or have interests that present a prima facie risk to the lawyer's independence. In the United States, two such situations are the representation of plaintiffs in contingent-fee financed litigation and the representation of insured defendants by lawyers compensated, and substantially controlled, by liability insurers. Both of these situations present conflicts of interest that are mitigated for the most part not by formal rules of professional conduct but by other legal and non-legal sources of constraint. In the insurance defense context, many apparent conflicts are mitigated by doctrines within insurance law that limit the extent to which insurers can act self-interestedly at the expense of the insured. Regarding contingent-fee representation, market mechanisms are entrusted with the role of regulating the size of fees, while agency and tort principles regulate the conduct of lawyers representing plaintiffs in contingent-fee matters. These comparisons show that third-part litigation finance should not be condemned categorically as compromising the lawyer's independent judgment. Rather, the acceptability of third-party finance should be dependent upon the extent to which the relationship between the funder and the recipient of funding is regulated to mitigate the risk of self-interested behaviour on the part of the funder.Forthcoming in a symposium in the Canadian Business Law Journal on alternative litigation financing.

Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration

Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration
Author: Lisa Bench Nieuwveld
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2016-04-24
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041161120

Download Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Since the first edition of this invaluable book in 2012, third-party funding has become more mainstream in international arbitration practice. However, since even the existence of a third-party funding agreement in a dispute is often kept secret, it can be difficult to glean the specifics of successful funding agreements. This welcome book, now updated, expertly reveals the nuances of third-party funding in international arbitration, examines the phenomenon in key jurisdictions, and provides a reliable resource for users and potential users that may wish to tap into and make use of this distinctive funding tool. Focusing on Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and South Africa, the authors analyze and assess the legal regime based upon legislation, judicial opinions, ethics opinions, and practitioner anecdotes describing the state of third-party funding in each jurisdiction. In addition to updating summaries of the law of the various jurisdictions, the second edition includes a new chapter addressing third-party funding in investor-state arbitration. Among the issues raised and examined are the following: · payment of adverse costs; · “Before-the-Event” (BTE) and “After-the-Event” (ATE) insurance; · attorney financing: pro bono representation, contingency representation, conditional fee arrangements; · loans; · ethical doctrines affecting the third-party funding industry; · possible future bundling, securitization, and trading of legal claims; · risk that the funder may put its own interests ahead of the client’s interests; and · whether the existence of a funding agreement must or should be disclosed to the decision maker. The second edition also includes discussion of recent institutional developments as they relate to third-party funding, including the work of the ICCA-Queen Mary Task Force on Third-Party Funding and how third-party funding is being incorporated into arbitral rules and investment treaties. Ably providing a thorough understanding of what third-party funding entails and what legal parameters exist, this book will be of compelling interest to parties aiming to take advantage of the high values, speed, reduced evidentiary costs, outcome predictability, industry expertise, and high award enforceability characteristic of the third-party funding arrangements available in international arbitration.

Alternative Litigation Finance and the Work-Product Doctrine

Alternative Litigation Finance and the Work-Product Doctrine
Author: Grace M. Giesel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 59
Release: 2016
Genre:
ISBN:

Download Alternative Litigation Finance and the Work-Product Doctrine Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The United States judicial system is in the midst of great and fundamental change with regard to the funding of litigation. Historically, parties financed litigation out of their own literal or figurative pockets or, perhaps with the assistance of some sort of contingent fee representation. Third-party financing of litigation was frowned upon, if not specifically forbidden. But, now, third-party litigation funding entities have begun, with much more frequency and success, to provide funding for small matters such as individual personal injury claims as well as larger commercial litigation matters between businesses. The demand for this alternative litigation finance ("ALF") clearly exists, and the supply of funding has developed despite historical obstacles. Doctrines such as champerty have faded somewhat form the legal landscape, and old fears of having litigation funded and controlled by evil actors equal to the worst villain in any Dickens novel have receded in light of the notion that everyone deserves access to justice regardless of bank account balance.

Investing in Justice

Investing in Justice
Author: Max Volsky
Publisher:
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2013-04
Genre: Actions and defenses
ISBN: 9780988510500

Download Investing in Justice Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Alternative assets have become popular in recent years, mainly because they offer superior returns and are uncorrelated to traditional markets. Legal finance also called lawsuit funding, lawsuit loans, pre-settlement funding, tort advances, plaintiff advances, litigation finance, litigation financing, litigation funding or dispute finance refers to investments in lawsuits. Written by a renowned expert, this book is essential reading for investors, consumers, lawyers, policymakers, business executives, and anyone who can benefit from having a clear and comprehensive framework for understanding this industry and its capacity to create more balanced and provident legal systems around the world. Join us as we explore this new market and examine the industry s most poignant issues.

Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Model Rules of Professional Conduct
Author: American Bar Association. House of Delegates
Publisher: American Bar Association
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2007
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781590318737

Download Model Rules of Professional Conduct Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

Third Party Funding

Third Party Funding
Author: Gian Marco Solas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2019-09-26
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1108497748

Download Third Party Funding Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Looks at legal, economic and policy issues related to third party funding in common law, civil law jurisdictions and international contexts.

Public Interest Lawyering

Public Interest Lawyering
Author: Alan K. Chen
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 915
Release: 2014-12-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1454818883

Download Public Interest Lawyering Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Public Interest Lawyering is the first comprehensive analysis of public interest lawyering that is suitable as a law school elective text and/or advanced legal profession courses and seminars. Drawing upon a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this timely textbook examines the lives of public interest lawyers, the clients and causes they serve, the contexts within which they work, the strategies they deploy, and the challenges they face today. Features: The first comprehensive overview of the broad range of contemporary issues faced by public interest lawyers in any American law school text. Thorough discussion of important theoretical issues about the scope and definition of public interest lawyering. Addresses American public interest law from a historical perspective with focus on current issues. Expansive examination of the settings in which public interest practice occurs, including nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and private law firms. Presents the advantages and limits of different legal strategies in public interest practice, including lobbying, public education, community organizing, and community economic development. Addresses contemporary challenges of public interest law in context, including economics and financing, legal ethics, the role of legal education, and the globalization of public interest practice. Discusses critiques of public interest law, including a reflection about the role of lawyers in social movements that addresses contemporary critiques. Ethical obligations of public interest lawyers. Explores special issues related to lawyer-client relations in social change contexts. Extensive coverage of: Models of law reform organizations. Conservative cause lawyering. Government lawyers. The economics of social change lawyering. Global social change lawyering.

Selling Lawsuits, Buying Trouble

Selling Lawsuits, Buying Trouble
Author: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Publisher:
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2009
Genre: Liability (Law)
ISBN:

Download Selling Lawsuits, Buying Trouble Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle