Full Description
How David Beats Goliath: Access to Capital for Contingent-Fee Law Firms addresses
a little-known but critical flaw in America's system of justice. Average
citizens and workers who have been injured or wronged through negligence or
malfeasance are guaranteed their day in court. In practice, however, this
bedrock legal right is compromised. The problem is a paucity of fair and
reasonable funding for expenses incurred in the bringing of personal-injury
and other lawsuits. Writing for trial attorneys who represent middle-class or
even indigent clients, author and finance expert Michael J. Swanson outlines
this complex problem in a clear and lucid book that every dedicated trial
lawyer should own. "By temperament, training and the long traditions of their
profession, contingent-fee lawyers often fail to maximize the business needs
of their practices," says Swanson, "They especially fail to understand and
control the cost of their capital structure."
Contents
Introduction Part 1: Background Chapter One: Meet Wendy Chapter Two: The Financial Realities of Contingent-Fee Legal Work (aka Kyle Has a Problem) Chapter Three: Cold Reality: Financial Deck Stacked Against Contingent-Fee Firms Chapter Four: Basic Financial Concepts PART 2: Review of Capital Sources Chapter Five: Sources of Funding for Contingent-Fee Law Firms Chapter Six: The Hidden, High Costs of Fee Sharing Chapter Seven: Contingent Lenders Chapter Eight: Appeal Funding Chapter Nine: Settlement Funding Chapter Ten: Finance Company Loans Chapter Eleven: Financing with Credit Cards Chapter Twelve: Partners' Cash as a Funding Source Chapter Thirteen: Vendor Financing Chapter Fourteen: Bank Lines of Credit Chapter Fifteen: Loan with Interest Pass-Through PART 3: Application Chapter Sixteen: About That Loan Chapter Seventeen: Onward Conclusion Index
