Large law firms significantly stepped up their use of litigation funding in 2021, according to a new report released Wednesday by broker Westfleet Advisors, with the share of total funding commitments that were made to firms in the Am Law 200 rising by 46% from the previous year.

These firms were privy to 41% of the 426 new deals initiated by litigation funders in the past calendar year, a total figure that was well up from the 312 deals closed in 2020. And 53% of the portfolio deals, which involve a group of multiple cases, inked in the same interval went to Am Law 200 firms, up a striking 488% from 2020.