Litigation funding, in all its guises, is a constantly evolving sector with new products entering the market on a regular basis – some from well-established funders and insurers and others from new entrants seeking to bring innovation in order to carve a niche for themselves. 

Most clients are heavily reliant upon their solicitors to advise them on funding packages and insurance for commercial disputes. However, not all solicitors are well-placed to provide the kind of up-to-date and comprehensive advice that ensures clients can make a fully informed decision. 

Annecto Legal prides itself on offering a professional service to solicitors, restructuring professionals and lay clients who are seeking to navigate this complex marketplace.

Litigation is, of course, risky (even in the most ‘certain’ of cases), and the risk of excessive legal costs is often what prevents clients from pursuing commercial litigation. 

Is it possible to reduce litigation risk with retainers, funding and insurance?  

Annecto Legal provides clients with free help and guidance around retainer options, third party funding and legal expenses/ after the event insurance, to help: 

• use the best available funding option for any case;
• take advantage of low-cost insurance to reduce costs of funding; 
• provide access to a wide market of funders and insurers with different appetites for risk;
• assist in presenting cases to the market to ensure the best possible chance of successfully securing backing.

As well as one-to-one assistance, Annecto Legal can also give access to the most appropriate funding and insurance products for commercial disputes.  

It may surprise many clients, including dispute resolution lawyers, that not all funding and insurance products are the same. 

Annecto Legal works with the leading insurers and third party funders, as well as innovative new entrants, to understand, develop and promote a full range of options for commercial disputes. 

As a consequence of this work, clients can save time (and money) using this professional service to: 

• quickly identify the right products for any case; 
• assist with applications (the Annecto Legal application process is designed to be straightforward and time saving); 
• follow-up with insurers and funders; 
• get all applications over the finishing line as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Any solicitors that have attempted to secure funding directly will immediately recognise the benefits of this kind of support and will be able to see the time and money that it saves on legal costs.

In addition to assisting with the process of funding, Annecto Legal’s market access also provides solicitors and their clients with market-leading products offering a range of benefits: 

• sliding scale returns for funders (so clients may only give away 5% of damages in a quick settlement, but up to 30% of damages if the case runs to trial, with multiple stages in between); 

• flexibility to fund cases that don’t offer a simple cash return on successful conclusion (patent cases, for example); 
• funding and insurance for smaller claims, as well as more complex disputes; 
• a speedy decision-making process with simple application procedures; 
• light touch oversight in funded cases rather than onerous reporting requirements. 

Funding is obviously not the appropriate course in every case, but we know that many clients benefit from transferring risk and costs from their balance sheet, and in some cases, the presence of financial backing can encourage settlement (especially when that backing is at a sensible cost to the client).