Lord John Thomas, ELI First Vice President, welcomed participants and explained that for ELI an objective view of experts is vitally important, when looking at subjects that the Institute considers working on. As one of the topics identified for ELI’s future potential projects, third party funding of litigation raises several questions, including on access to justice, and ELI is glad to be able to count on the experts’ guidance.

Susan Dunn (Founder, Association of Litigation Funders of the UK, Chair of the meeting), PJ Kirby QC (Barrister, Gatehouse Chambers), Alexander Klauser (Partner, BKP), Christian Koller (Professor, University of Vienna), Augusta Maciuleviciute (Senior Legal Officer, Team Leader Redress and Enforcement, The European Consumer Organisation, BEUC), Pascal Pichonnaz (ELI President), Johan Sidklev (Partner, Roschier), Elisabeth Stong (Judge, US Bankruptcy Court), Lord John Thomas (First ELI Vice-President), Ianika Tzankova (Professor, Tilburg University) and Christiane Wendehorst (ELI Scientific Director) discussed issues such as disclosure of funding and capping of funder fees, among many other topics relating to third party funding of litigation. They also exchanged views on a potential ELI project in the field, its potential scope and outcome.

Participants were joined by Tomasz Dudek (ELI Senior Project Officer).

ELI would like to express its gratitude to the experts for their valuable contributions, which will be further consolidated and then considered by the ELI Executive Committee and Council.