At Meyerkord & Kurth, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers are committed to supporting and giving back to our local community, as well as efforts that support local residents in need. On Thursday, June 17, our firm hosted a cy pres donation event, and we are proud to announce that the event was a great success.
What is Cy Pres?
Cy pres, a French phrase that means "as near as," refers to situations where awards from a class action settlement or verdict can't be fully distributed to some or all of the class members. This may be due to difficulty finding or identifying plaintiffs, or because the cost of distributing funds is simply not feasible. Rather than giving unclaimed money back to the defendant, cy pres distributes the money to non-profits that support related causes.
Meyerkord & Kurth's Cy Pres Fund
Our firm's fund was created by Attorney John S. Steward after a large class-action recovery completed its 12-year litigation journey. The funds were distributed as follows:
- Legal Services of Eastern Missouri received in excess of $2 million in a lump-sum distribution.
- Washington University Clinic received $450,000 in a distribution.
- Gateway Legal Services received a $150,000 distribution.
These cy pres donations will aid the organizations in supporting positive causes and public interests. For example, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is an organization that provides legal services for low-income families.
Below are a few pictures from the donation event held at our St. Louis office.
