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Funding and Coordination

Author
Affiliation

Mike P. Sinn

International Campaign to End War and Disease

Abstract

At ~$200-$600 for one share, the lawsuit is cheap enough that most plaintiffs self-fund. This page covers co-plaintiff recruitment, multi-defendant coordination, and the hardship fallback.

Keywords

plaintiff funding, co-plaintiff, multi-defendant coordination, shareholder lawsuit

The default assumption is that the plaintiff self-funds the ~$200-$600 cost of one share. The cost is now low enough that most readers who have the time and capacity to lead a derivative action also have $200. This page covers the edge cases where that assumption fails and the coordination mechanics for multi-plaintiff campaigns.

The Self-Funding Default

For most plaintiffs:

  • Buy 1 share of one defendant: ~$200-$600.
  • Counsel typically on contingency or pro bono via the counsel pitch.
  • Postage, certified mail, printing: under $50.
  • Optional: extra share count to preserve the Rule 14a-8 path.

Total out-of-pocket for the typical plaintiff: ~$250-$650. This is within the discretionary spending of most readers who would be appropriate plaintiffs.

If you can afford this and want to file, file. Skip the rest of this page until needed.

If a Plaintiff Cannot Afford $200

Borrow $200 from one person and repay from a future paycheck. If that’s not possible, contact [email protected] for coalition-funded share purchase.

Recruit-a-Co-Plaintiff Template

Co-plaintiffs strengthen the case (multiple plaintiffs is harder to dismiss as a one-off complaint) and distribute the workload. The template below recruits a co-plaintiff from your network.

Subject: Joining a shareholder lawsuit against [COMPANY]

[Name],

I am filing a shareholder demand letter against the Board of [COMPANY] on [DATE], asking the Board to investigate whether the company’s annual lobbying expenditure ($[X] million) actually benefits its own shareholders. The legal theory is straightforward, the math is publicly sourced, and counsel from [LAW FIRM] is engaged on [contingency / pro bono basis].

I am writing to ask whether you would consider joining as a co-plaintiff.

What is required of a co-plaintiff:

  1. You own (or buy) at least one share of [COMPANY] stock. One share costs approximately $[X].
  2. You sign the demand letter alongside me. Counsel handles the legal mechanics.
  3. You are available for occasional press interviews about why you signed.
  4. You hold the shares until the case resolves. Do not sell.

What is NOT required:

  • Money beyond the one share. Counsel is on contingency or pro bono.
  • Legal expertise. Counsel handles the filings.
  • A speaking role. If you don’t want to do press, you don’t have to. Your signature on the demand letter is enough.

Why this matters to me, and why I think it would matter to you:

[2-3 personalized sentences about the family member with disease, the years of work in healthcare, the loved one lost, the personal reason you connect with the math.]

The full pleading is at: warondisease.org/lawsuit.

The math: warondisease.org/where-am-i-wrong.

The 60-day clock starts on the date the demand letter is mailed. I am targeting [DATE]. If you want to join, I need a yes by [DATE - 3 days].

Happy to call and walk through the details.

[YOUR NAME] [PHONE / EMAIL]

Multi-Defendant Coordination

For coordinated filings against multiple primes (~$1,600-$4,800 total in shares, distributed across 8 plaintiffs), contact the campaign coordinator at [email protected]. They handle the sequencing, shared counsel, and shared press operation.

Plaintiff Registry

Public registry of active filings lives at warondisease.org/registry. Opt in to coordinate; opt out if you prefer the campaign coordinator handle privately.

What Coordination Achieves

A single filing reaches a small audience. Eight coordinated filings produce a “trend story” rather than 8 one-offs, force the defense industry to coordinate a counter-narrative (itself newsworthy), amortize legal costs across the slate, and scale settlement leverage because a board that sees 7 peer companies under identical pressure is more likely to capitulate.

Where to Get Help