Litigation funder Bentham Europe has selected Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan as its adviser on a claim by some of Volkswagen's largest shareholders against the company in Germany over the emissions rigging scandal the car maker has been embroiled in.

Volkswagen is facing the prospect of numerous legal claims after it emerged last month that it had been cheating emission tests by using software that made its cars appear less polluting than they are.

Volkswagen's share price has plunged from around €160 to just above €100, while its market capitalisation has collapsed by around €25bn (£18bn) since the scandal broke.