Litigation

Litigation Expert Justin VandenBout Joins Norton Rose Fulbright as Partner to Bolster Houston Team

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Houston, Texas — Norton Rose Fulbright, a premier global law firm, has enhanced its litigation team by welcoming Justin VandenBout as a partner in the firm’s Products, Pharma, Medical and Mass Tort practice based in Houston. This strategic addition aims to bolster the firm’s capacity in handling high-profile litigation across a range of challenging sectors. VandenBout transitions to his new role from Chamberlain Hrdlicka, bringing with him significant expertise and a robust nationwide litigation practice that spans commercial and product liability litigation, as well as insurance coverage and mass torts. His extensive experience includes serving … Read more

U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Purdue Case Heightens Challenges for Mass Litigation Resolutions in Bankruptcy

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Washington, D.C. — A landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has fundamentally changed the landscape for resolving mass litigation within the bankruptcy framework. This ruling significantly impacts the ability of companies, like opioid giant Purdue Pharma, to settle numerous lawsuits by filing for bankruptcy. Traditionally, bankruptcy has been used as a tool by corporations to manage and halt litigation, particularly when faced with the potential devastation of massive lawsuit payouts. Bankruptcy filings allow these companies to consolidate lawsuits in one federal court and propose global settlements. However, the Supreme Court’s decision has narrowed the … Read more

Arizona’s Legal Landscape Transformed: Private Equity and Litigation Funders Seize Opportunities in Law Firm Ownership

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Phoenix, AZ — Arizona has become a burgeoning hub for the legal industry following the state’s decision to remove prohibitions against non-lawyers owning law firms. This groundbreaking move has attracted a notable influx of private equity firms and litigation financers keen to capitalize on this newly opened market. The change stems from the elimination of a rule that previously barred non-lawyers from holding ownership stakes in legal practices. Since this change was enacted in 2020, Arizona has approved 76 alternative business structures (ABS), applications, many of which include investments from private equity or litigation finance … Read more

Mass Torts Meets Mega Money: The Surge of Billion-Dollar Litigation Financing

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New York — In the competitive world of high-stakes litigation, the marriage between litigation finance and mass torts is transforming the legal landscape, attracting investors with the allure of potentially astronomical returns. Litigation finance, once a niche sector, has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, offering funding to plaintiffs and law firms engaged in large-scale legal battles over issues like pharmaceutical side effects, environmental disasters, and product liabilities. Traditionally, funding a lawsuit could be financially crippling for plaintiffs and law firms, especially in cases that stretched over years. However, with the advent of litigation finance, … Read more