Judge’s Order Deals Blow to Sysco, Burford Capital in Pork Suits

A federal judge’s decision to stop plaintiff Sysco Corp. from handing off its claims in ongoing price-fixing lawsuits to litigation funder Burford Capital Ltd deals a setback to the funder and puts the opaque litigation financing industry in an increasingly glaring spotlight.

Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty of the US District Court for the District of Minnesota said in a Feb. 9 order that a Burford Capital affiliate can’t take over as plaintiff in two pork and beef price-fixing lawsuits it funded for food distributor Sysco Corp. Burford provided Sysco $140 million to pursue the lawsuits, according to court ...