IRC SECTION 468B QUALIFIED SETTLEMENT FUND AND TRUST SERVICES
Wahlstrom and Associates has over 20 years of specialization in the negotiation, design and administration of multi-claimant cases and mass tort claims. While there are large national firms, which by necessity are needed to handle the headline grabbing national mass torts with tens of thousands of claimants, Wahlstrom & Associates has instead worked to create a "lawyer friendly" process using qualified settlement funds and local administration to manage and distribute both taxable and tax free multi-claimant settlements at the local firm level.
Examples of recent cases handled by Wahlstrom & Associates include:
A national billion dollar crop damage and business loss settlement for farmers who utilized a certain strain of genetically modified seeds. We were successful in designing firm or state specific qualified settlement funds to process claims, handle allocation disputes and structure taxable payments into future years for many of the farmers and their attorneys.
Local contaminated water cases where old industrial dumps fouled water, created known health risks and potential future illness. Payments were collected over time from various defendants, payments were made to claimants and future fund held in a recurrence fund in the event members or their families came down with chemical spill related illness.
Consolidation of funds in a national pharmaceutical litigation, allowing local counsel to speed up claims resolution, acquire a local lien resolution firm and provide expedited payment to clients due to a smaller more regional scale.
Utilization of a QSF trust on a massive oil field explosion and fire involving 5 claimants with various injuries and necessary care plans. The Trust was locally administered and the case settle on first days of negotiation due to our ability to provide full release to defendants and also craft unique solutions for each claimant and their attorneys.
These and other cases are just a few examples of our administrative and design capacity on mass torts and multi-claimant cases. Each Qualified Settlement Fund or 468B Trust is strategically designed and then priced on a set fee basis that is filed with the court and fully disclosed to claimants and other interested parties. Our experience in both large and small cases allows Wahlstrom & Associates to tailor a settlement strategy and settlement trust that fits your case and the planning needs of your firm and your clients.