In recent weeks, large law firms have announced significant increases in associate salaries. Not surprisingly, many clients are voicing concerns over any potential rises in billable rates as firms try to pass those costs onto clients. Long before the announcements, firms were already dealing with increasing pressure from clients shifting work in-house and asking for reduced rates, discounts, and alternative fee arrangements. As Allison Chock and Matt Harrison (the heads of our Los Angeles and San Francisco offices respectively) explain in our Q&A below, litigation funding provides a great way to address these issues and also create new value for clients.
In Part 3 of this 4-part series, we will look at the Florida Bankruptcy Court’s analysis and application of the Work Product Doctrine to a document production request in In re International Trading Company, LLC (“IOTC”).]
Working with well-established litigation funders can have unexpected benefits for law firms. Among those benefits are opportunities to receive referrals for new business.
As the litigation finance industry continues its growth and expansion within the marketplace, so does the body of case law discussing whether communications made between a claimant and a funder are privileged. While there is a slight variance in how different jurisdictions apply the privilege doctrines and exceptions thereto, the overwhelming majority of case law has developed in favor of finding that certain communications made to a litigation funder are indeed protected from discovery. In Part 1 of this 4-part series, we will discuss the Court’s analysis and application of the common interest exception to the attorney-client privilege.
Peter Thiel's funding of Hulk Hogan's suit against Gawker differs from traditional commercial litigation funding in a number of ways. Bentham explains.
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted how Bentham's litigation portfolio funding benefits startup litigation boutiques, Big Law, and Small Law firms.
As demand for Alternative Fee Arrangements grow in popularity, learn how litigation finance works as a tool to help spread the costs and risks associated with your legal expenses.
Jim Batson, Senior Investment Manager in Bentham's New York office, gave a guest lecture at Florida State University, College of Law on Monday, April 4, 2016 about his involvement and experience in the seminal e-discovery case of Zubulake v. UBS Warburg.
Matt Harrison, Investment Manager and Legal Counsel in Bentham's San Francisco office, will participate in a panel discussion about litigation funding at the Northern District of California Judicial Conference on April 9, 2016.
Delaware Superior Court President Judge Jan R. Jurden decided yesterday in Charge Injection Technologies, Inc. v. EI du Pont de Nemours that a litigation funder's involvement in a case did NOT amount to improper meddling.
A recent decision on a summary judgment motion out of the Western District of Pennsylvania rejected usury and champerty defenses to an alternative litigation finance agreement. This latest decision indicates the judiciary is becoming more receptive to the use of alternative litigation funding.
Los Angeles Investment Manager Allison Chock will participate in a panel discussion about litigation funding at the ABA Environmental, Mass Torts & Products Liability Joint CLE conference in Park City, Utah on Friday, January 22, 2016. Register today!
Allison Chock will participate in a panel discussion on litigation finance on January 19, 2016 at The Four Seasons in San Francisco along with a distinguished panel consisting of members of the judiciary and representatives from Burford Capital and Lake Whillans. Register today!
Taking stock in the last days of 2015, we note that 2015 has been outstanding. Bentham continued its expansion of offices in the US. We grew our product base. We invested in a record number of cases. And, we saw a substantial uptick in investment inquiries. We expect this exciting trajectory to continue in 2016. Happy New Year to all!
During the recent seminar, sponsored by Bentham IMF in conjunction with the Harvard Law School Association and hosted by Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles Investment Manager David Gallagher responds to the question posed by moderator David Houston – is commercial litigation finance legal?
Proving that legal education does not stop at graduation, Harvard Law School alumni, their colleagues and friends gathered on November 19, 2015 at Southwestern Law School to hear a distinguished panel discuss commercial litigation funding.
After launching Bentham’s San Francisco office in October, Matt Harrison describes litigation funding in the Bay Area as “going gang-busters.” Matt, with the help of his recent hire from Latham & Watkins, Priya Pai, are busy evaluating large commercial and law firm portfolio cases and have no regrets over saying goodbye to the billable hour. They sat down with The Recorder to discuss the transition from billing on cases to financing them.
