The third-party litigation funding market is a step closer to regulation with the Civil Justice Council (CJC) set to hold a meeting on the issue next year.

The meeting, which is due to be held in February, will cover options for regulating the emerging market, which has seen a number of funders launch in the UK in recent times, including IM Litigation Funding and, more recently, Allianz and hedge fund MKM Longboat.

CJC chief executive Robert Musgrove is co-ordinating the event, with invitations set to be sent out before Christmas to key stakeholder including funders, lawyers, academics, representative bodies and judges.

The meeting was prompted by the Master of Rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke, at an event on collective redress mechanisms in November, where funding was highlighted as a key battleground.

Following the meeting, recommendations will be presented to the Lord Chancellor, with a light-touch approach to regulation likely to be preferred over more robust measures.

Musgrove commented: "We will be looking at whether commercial litigation funders should be subject to regulation, voluntary or otherwise, and, if so, which shape should that regulation take."

He added; "It is in the interest of the emerging market that this happens sooner rather than later."

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