England & Wales Court of Appeal; CAT · UK · 2025 · Decided
Citation/Docket: [2025] EWCA Civ 459; [2025] CAT 45
Posture: Funder payment priority in collective proceedings
Funder(s) involved: (Class-action funders)
Whether funders and lawyers can be paid from damages before class members, and how tribunals assess funder returns.
Yes, the CAT may order funder/lawyer payment ahead of the class; Rodger v. Google added that paying the funder first can even serve the class's interests. Merricks settlement scrutiny showed the CAT will also police the size of returns.
UK funder economics are now openly supervised: priority is available, but returns must be justified with evidence.
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Compiled from public sources (court filings, published opinions, and secondary reporting) as part of the Institute's Phase 1 Dispute Library research. This is educational material, not legal advice; case citations should be independently verified before relied upon.