Settlement loan provider Easy Legal Finance makes strategic acquisition

Easy Legal Finance offers financial support to personal injury plaintiffs and their counsel

Settlement loan provider Easy Legal Finance makes strategic acquisition

The Easy Legal Group of Companies, a Canadian litigation financing firm, has acquired Seahold Investments Inc., a Moncton-based firm that provides financial support to personal injury plaintiffs.

Following the strategic acquisition, the Easy Legal Group of Companies now offers its lending solutions through three brands: Easy Legal Finance Inc., Rhino Legal Finance and Seahold Investments Inc.

Registered to do business in Alberta, B.C., Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, the Easy Legal Group seeks to assist and to offer funding not only to those who have been hurt by the negligence of others, but also to their counsel and service providers.

Created in 2000 in recognition of the importance of access to justice, Seahold Investments Inc. has been dubbed one of the first firms in Canada to offer pre-settlement lending to personal injury plaintiffs.

“This strategic acquisition, in addition to acquiring Rhino Legal Finance in 2018, further demonstrates our commitment to enhance our position as a national litigation lender, with services delivered through strong regional brands, built on a coast-to-coast network of established relationships,” says Larry Herscu, president and chief executive officer of Easy Legal Finance Inc.

Herscu also recently shared his thoughts about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal injury litigation. He stated that, while under more favourable circumstances, plaintiffs may need to spend two to four years to settle their personal injury claims, given the suspension of regular court operations, the adjournment of court proceedings and the adoption by physiotherapists and other treatment providers of virtual operations, “some personal injury plaintiffs may face an exacerbation of their symptoms as well as financial ruin.”

“It’s positive to see firms and facilities continue to function in these unprecedented times,” he says. “But with courts at a standstill, personal injury victims are facing further delays in receiving both treatment and compensation for their injuries.”