Litigation Funding Contract Invalidated As Champertous In Pennsylvania

This post does not involve a drug/device case – or even a tort case − but counsel worried about potentially abusive litigation funding should take a look at WFIC, LLC v. Labarre, ___ A.3d ___, 2016 WL 4769436 (Pa. Super. Sept. 13, 2016), in which a statewide appellate court, in a precedential decision, invalidated a litigation funding agreement as "champertous."

WFIC involved commercial litigation. The underlying litigation is not important, except for its being extensive and expensive, and that the result was a significant verdict (low eight figures) – but not the nine-figure whopper that the plaintiffs had been hoping for. 2016 WL 4769436, at *1.

After entry of judgment, to keep the litigation going during the appeal, the plaintiff's lawyer rejiggered his own fee arrangement so that various litigation funders, who had previously advanced funds, would be paid out the lawyer's contingent fee. Id. The funds from the eventual satisfaction of the affirmed judgment