When a contingency fee case reaches a verdict or settlement, it’s a big day for a plaintiff attorney. You have worked hard and shouldered litigation costs -- often for years without compensation -- to achieve the best outcome for your client.

Finally, your ship comes in. At that point, however, it is officially too late to think about how to best handle a sudden influx of capital; that is, if you don’t mind seeing much of it going to the IRS. But what it taketh with one hand the government giveth with the other. Uncle Sam has created a way for you keep more of your hard-won settlement or award, but there is much to consider and new information to weigh.

In this episode I get to speak with a financial management professional who specializes in advising trial attorneys how they can take full advantage of attorney fee structures. The concept of fee deferral arrangements may be familiar to you, but the landscape continues to evolve.

Join us to learn about the latest thinking and new options to make the most of your hard-earned fees, whether you need funds immediately or wish to maximize their value over time.

My guest is Sam Dolce, an attorney with Milestone, a financial firm that optimizes settlement funds for trial attorneys and plaintiffs. Sam consults with legal professionals about about Qualified Settlement Funds, fee deferrals, and settlement planning. Sam received his B.A. from Macalester College and his J.D. from SUNY Buffalo Law School. Thanks to Sam for sharing his insights.

On a previous episode you can hear Sam's colleague, Erin Waas, who heads up the Milestone Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides low-cost funding to injured individuals in need of cash as their personal injury cases wind their way through court.

This podcast is the audio companion to the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation. The Journal is a collaborative project between HB Litigation Conferences and the Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media, and Docket Alarm. The podcast itself is a joint effort between HB and our friends at Law Street Media. If you have comments or wish to participate in one our projects please drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com.

Attorney Fees and Settlement Funds with Sam Dolce