System and method for bidding on contingency-based matters

• US 8,359,241 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michele Colucci-Zieger
• Original Assignee: Michele Colucci-Zieger
• Inventors: Colucci-Zieger, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Amee A
• Application Number:
  US11/740,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/27, 705/311, 705/26.1, 705/26.41
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

A system comprises a web server for posting matters of clients for bidding by contingency professionals, e.g., contingency lawyers and/or judgment collectors; a client matter engine for enabling a particular client to post a particular matter and to select a particular contingency professional bidding on the particular matter to handle the particular matter; a professional bidding engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to review at least a portion of the posted matters and to bid on the particular matter; and a bidding exchange engine for enabling the particular client and the particular contingency professional to communicate without exchanging direct contact information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

enabling, by a computer system operated by an operator, a plurality of clients to post contingency matters for bidding by a plurality of contingency professionals, and enabling a particular client to post a particular contingency matter;

requiring, by the computer system, the particular client with the particular contingency matter to agree to a third party lien on behalf of the operator on any recovery from the particular contingency matter when obtained by a particular contingency professional referred via the computer system;

requiring, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to agree to enforce the third party lien on behalf of the operator on any recovery from the particular contingency matter when the particular contingency professional handles the particular contingency matter;

requesting, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to provide professional qualification information to assist with determining contingency matters the particular contingency professional is qualified to handle;

using the professional qualification information to identify the particular contingency professional as qualified to handle the particular contingency matter;

enabling, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to review the particular contingency matter;

enabling, by the computer system, the particular client and the particular contingency professional to communicate without exchanging direct contact information;

enabling, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to bid on the particular contingency matter;

enabling, by the computer system, the particular client to select the particular contingency professional to handle the particular matter; and

allowing the exchange of direct contact information of at least one of the particular client and the particular contingency professional to the other only after the particular client agrees to the third party lien and only after the particular contingency professional agrees to enforce the third party lien.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular client has a legal matter and the particular contingency professional includes a contingency lawyer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular client has credit rights and the particular contingency professional includes a contingency collector.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, review of communications between the particular client and the particular contingency professional to ensure that the direct contact information is not being exchanged.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining, by the computer system, client profile information to register the particular client.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising prompting, by the computer system, the particular client to agree to predetermined terms and conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to select a particular membership class.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the particular membership class affects access rights to the posted contingency matters.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the particular membership class defines the term of membership.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, input of status information on the particular matter being handled.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional of the particular posted contingency matters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the notifying includes notifying only registered contingency professionals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the notifying includes notifying only registered contingency professionals belonging to a particular membership class.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to search at least the portion of the posted contingency matters based on a query.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to view posted contingency matters based on subject matter.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, the particular contingency professional to view posted contingency matters based on registration status.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, the particular client to rate the particular contingency professional.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer system, the particular client to re-post the particular contingency matter and enabling the particular client to provide an explanation for the re-posting.

19. A system, comprising:

a server operated by an operator, the server including a client matter engine for enabling a plurality of clients to post contingency matters for bidding by a plurality of contingency professionals and for enabling a particular client to post a particular contingency matter;

a client registration engine for requiring the particular client with the particular contingency matter to agree to a third party lien on behalf of the operator on any recovery from the particular contingency matter when obtained by a particular contingency professional referred via the system;

a professional registration engine for requiring the particular contingency professional to agree to enforce the third party lien on any recovery from the particular contingency matter when the particular contingency professional handles the particular contingency matter, and to provide professional qualification information to assist with determining contingency matters the particular contingency professional is qualified to handle;

a matching engine for using the professional qualification information to identify the particular contingency professional as qualified to handle the particular contingency matter;

a professional bidding engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to review and to bid on the particular contingency matter, the client matter engine further for enabling the particular client to select the particular contingency professional who is bidding on the particular contingency matter to handle the particular contingency matter; and

a bidding exchange engine for enabling the particular client and the particular contingency professional to communicate without exchanging direct contact information, the system allowing the exchange of direct contact information of at least one of the particular client and the particular contingency professional to the other only after the particular client agrees to the third party lien and only after the particular contingency professional agrees to enforce the third party lien.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the particular client has a legal matter and the particular contingency professional includes a contingency lawyer.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the particular client has credit rights and the particular contingency professional includes a contingency collector.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the bidding exchange engine requires review of communications to ensure that the direct contact information is not being exchanged.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the client registration engine obtains client profile information.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the client registration engine prompts the particular client to agree to predetermined terms and conditions.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the professional registration engine enables the particular contingency professional to select a particular membership class.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the particular membership class affects access rights to posted matters.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the particular membership class defines the term of membership.

28. The system of claim 19, further comprising a status management engine for enabling input of status information on the particular matter being handled.

29. The system of claim 19, further comprising a notification engine for notifying the particular contingency professional of particular posted matters.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the notification engine notifies only registered contingency professionals.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the notification engine notifies only registered contingency professionals belonging to a particular membership class.

32. The system of claim 19, further comprising a search and filter engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to search at least the portion of the posted contingency matters based on a query.

33. The system of claim 19, further comprising a search and filter engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to view posted contingency matters based on subject matter.

34. The system of claim 19, further comprising a search and filter engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to view posted contingency matters based on registration status.

35. The system of claim 19, further comprising a rating engine for enabling the particular client to rate the particular contingency professional, and the particular contingency professional to respond to a rating by the particular client.

36. A system, comprising:

a server operated by an operator, the server including means for enabling a plurality of clients to post contingency matters for bidding by a plurality of contingency professionals, and enabling a particular client to post a particular contingency matter;

means for requiring the particular client with the contingency matter to agree to a third party lien on behalf of the operator on any recovery from the particular contingency matter when obtained by a particular contingency professional referred via the system;

means for requiring the particular contingency professional to agree to enforce the third party lien on behalf of the operator on any recovery from the particular contingency matter when the particular contingency professional handles the particular contingency matter;

means for requesting the particular contingency professional to provide professional qualification information to assist with determining contingency matters the particular contingency professional is qualified to handle;

means for using the professional qualification information to identify the particular contingency professional as qualified to handle the particular contingency matter;

means for enabling the particular contingency professional to review the particular contingency matter;

means for enabling the particular client and the particular contingency professional to communicate without exchanging direct contact information;

means for enabling the particular contingency professional to bid on the particular contingency matter;

means for enabling the particular client to select the particular contingency professional to handle the particular matter; and

means for allowing the exchange of direct contact information of at least one of the particular client and the particular contingency professional to the other only after the particular client agrees to the third party lien and only after the particular contingency professional agrees to enforce the third party lien.