What Settlement Professionals Inc does

Settlement Professionals Inc. (SPI) is a privately held, plaintiff-only settlement planning firm founded in 1987 by Jack Meligan in Portland, Oregon. The firm serves personal injury plaintiffs and the trial attorneys who represent them, providing structured settlement advice, trust administration (Settlement Preservation Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Recovery Trusts), Qualified Settlement Fund management under IRC Section 468B, Medicare Set-Aside compliance, and ERISA lien resolution. SPI operates through five regional offices across Oregon, Arizona, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, with a staff in the 11-50 range led by credentialed specialists holding CFP, RSP, MSCC, CMSP-F, and BCFE designations. The firm is the pioneer of the "plaintiff-only" settlement planning approach, distinguishing itself from defendant-controlled structured settlement models, and has assisted over 1,400 plaintiffs and 300+ QSF engagements since 1992.

SPI's core offering is holistic post-settlement planning rather than a technology platform; the firm derives revenue from professional service fees on individual cases, a 3% trustee fee on taxable damages handled through the Recovery Trust, and investment management fees via its wholly-owned subsidiary Settlement Capital Advisors. Two wholly-owned affiliates expand the platform: The Plaintiff's MSA and Lien Solution (PMLS, founded 2016) provides Medicare and Medicaid compliance and lien resolution, while Settlement Capital Advisors (SCA) manages specialized portfolios for attorneys and plaintiffs with large lifetime recoveries. Go-to-market relies on direct relationship-building with plaintiff trial attorneys, complimentary case triage consultations, an educational content engine (Settlement Pros Podcast, blog, Trial Lawyer Protection Packet), and curated institutional partnerships with BNY Mellon, The Newport Group, JurisPrudent, Capital First Trust Company, and Precision Resolution. Jack Meligan remains Founder and President after nearly four decades, with no external private equity or venture capital involvement documented in source materials.

Name

Settlement Professionals Inc

Legal name

Settlement Professionals Inc.

Website

https://settlepro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Settlement Professionals Inc. (SPI) is a plaintiff-only settlement planning firm founded in 1987 that provides structured settlement advice, trust administration, Medicare Set-Aside compliance, and attorney fee deferral services to personal injury plaintiffs and their trial attorneys across five U.S. regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Settlement Planning Services

NAICS

Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Debt Settlement & Negotiation Services (FSAEAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Debt Settlement / Negotiation Programs (Non-loan) (FSAKAIAK)

Keywords

• Structured settlement planning
• Settlement preservation trusts
• Plaintiff financial advisory
• Special needs trusts
• Attorney fee deferral

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Settlement Planning Services: SPI provides comprehensive settlement planning services to personal injury plaintiffs and their attorneys, including structured settlement advice, trust administration, and financial planning. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, consulting fees, and potentially percentage-based fees on managed assets or settlements.
2. Recovery Trust Administration: The Recovery Trust (RT) addresses double taxation in taxable damage cases. The trustee's fee is 3% of taxable damages. No fee is charged to create an RT.
3. Attorney Fee Deferral Services: Partnering with JurisPrudent to provide fee deferral solutions for plaintiff attorneys. SPI earns compensation through this partnership for facilitating deferred compensation arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Settlement Professionals Inc. (SPI) provides comprehensive post-settlement planning and implementation services for personal injury plaintiffs and their attorneys. The firm specializes in structured settlement advice, Settlement Preservation Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Recovery Trusts to address double taxation, Qualified Settlement Funds, Medicare Set-Aside avoidance, attorney fee deferral solutions, and investment management through its affiliate Settlement Capital Advisors.

Product overview

Settlement Professionals Inc. (SPI) is a plaintiff-only settlement planning firm offering comprehensive financial and legal services. The core offering is settlement planning services including Settlement Preservation Trusts, Structured Settlement Advice, Holistic Settlement Plans, Attorney Fee Deferrals, Conservatorships, Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), and Recovery Trusts (RTs). Key specialized services include The Recovery Trust (for tax mitigation in taxable damage cases), The Plaintiff's MSA and Lien Solution (for Medicare Set-Aside and lien resolution), and Qualified Settlement Funds (for mass tort/class action settlements). Additional services encompass Attorney Fee Deferral programs, Investment Management through Settlement Capital Advisors, Case Consulting (mediation, annuity counsel, expert testimony), Government Benefits Review, PPACA advice, and educational resources through the Settlement Pros Podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Settlement Preservation Trusts: Trust services to ensure settlement proceeds are carefully managed to last as long as the beneficiary's needs
• Recovery Trust (RT)
• Special Needs Trusts (SNTs)

Products and services

• Settlement Planning Services Comprehensive post-settlement planning and implementation for personal injury plaintiffs and their attorneys, including Settlement Preservation Trusts, Structured Settlement Advice, Holistic Settlement Plans, Attorney Fee Deferrals, Conservatorships, Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), and Recovery Trusts (RTs).
• The Recovery Trust (RT) A trust solution that solves the double taxation problem (Tax Hell) in taxable damage cases, helping plaintiffs retain more of their settlement proceeds by addressing taxation on both plaintiff and attorney fees. Trustee's fee is 3% of taxable damages; no fee charged to create an RT.
• Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance Services (Plaintiff's MSA and Lien Solution) Medicare Set-Aside allocation, Medicare conditional payments, Medicaid lien resolution, and ERISA lien resolution services with aggressive litigation strategy for compliance and lien minimization for plaintiff attorneys.
• Qualified Settlement Funds (QSF) Court-approved QSF trusts and accounts for mass tort and class action settlements, enabling proper settlement planning and preserving benefit eligibility for claimants.
• Attorney Fee Deferral Tax-advantaged fee deferral solution for plaintiff attorneys, enabling them to defer receipt of fees to lower tax rate years and compound wealth on a pre-tax basis through partnerships with JurisPrudent, BNY Mellon, and The Newport Group.
• Investment Management (Settlement Capital Advisors) Conservative, long-term investment management services for trial attorneys and clients with large lifetime recoveries, managing portfolios of blue chip, dividend-paying stocks through a registered investment advisor.
• Case Consulting Services Comprehensive consulting including mediation strategy and participation, annuity counsel, expert testimony (Jack Meligan as Board Certified Forensic Examiner), Life Care Plan funding analysis, and lien resolution outsourcing for plaintiff attorneys.
• Special Needs Trusts (SNT) Trusts for beneficiaries with physical or mental disabilities that preserve eligibility for means-tested government assistance programs like SSI and Medicaid while allowing beneficiaries to enjoy trust funds.
• Settlement Preservation Trusts (SPT) Trusts with professional trustees to ensure settlement proceeds are carefully managed and last as long as the beneficiary's needs require.
• Secondary Market Payment Streams (SMPS) Above-average return investments allowing victims to convert guaranteed future income from structured settlements into cash now by assigning rights to future annuity payments at a discount.
• Government Benefits Review Identification of appropriate state and federal benefit programs that may provide support during and after settlement, coordinating with personalized settlement plans.
• PPACA (Affordable Care Act) Advice Health insurance guidance including help obtaining coverage under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, addressing pre-existing condition exclusions and Medicaid eligibility expansion.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• The Plaintiff's MSA and Lien Solution (PMLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by SPI in 2016 to provide Medicare Set-Aside avoidance/minimization and aggressive lien resolution services. Offers Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, MSA services, Medicaid lien resolution, and ERISA lien resolution. Focuses on plaintiff-first strategies to protect settlement dollars.
• Settlement Capital Advisors (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by SPI to manage specialized investment portfolios for lawyers and clients with large lifetime recoveries. A registered investment advisor offering conservative, long-term focused investment management including blue chip dividend-paying stock portfolios.
• Capital First Trust CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Special Needs Trusts and Settlement Preservation Trusts administration. One of the country's most experienced special needs trust companies, managing settlement proceeds and responsible for fund investment and distribution.
• JurisPrudentcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndustry's most innovative provider of on-shore fee deferral solutions for plaintiff attorneys. Partnered with SPI to offer attorney fee deferral with access to U.S. and international equity and fixed income markets via low-cost ETFs.
• BNY MellonmajorOthersActs as trustee for deferred fees held through SPI's attorney fee deferral program. Provides institutional-grade asset custody and trust administration.
• The Newport GroupmajorOthersCountry's largest administrator of tax-deferred compensation for Fortune 500 executives. Tracks and administers SPI's attorney fee deferral arrangements.
• Precision Resolution, LLCmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for ERISA lien resolution services. Provides relentless lien negotiation techniques to challenge, reduce and eliminate lien claims on behalf of plaintiffs.
• Society of Settlement PlannersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Jack Meligan in 2000 to promote settlement planning concepts and educate professionals. SPI remains actively involved in leadership and curriculum development for the Registered Settlement Planner designation.
• Registry of Settlement PlannersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) organization dedicated to training, certification, and continuing education of settlement planners. Jack Meligan is currently president. SPI helped develop the Registered Settlement Planner (RSP) designation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA): Industry association representing structured settlement professionals and providers. Not a direct competitor but the institutional counterpart to the Society of Settlement Planners, and a relevant ecosystem reference point for SPI.

Direct peers

• Sage Settlement Consulting: A plaintiff-only settlement planning firm offering structured settlement advice, Special Needs Trusts, and Medicare Set-Aside coordination. Directly comparable to SPI on the plaintiff-only focus, service mix, and attorney-referral GTM motion.
• The Settlement Alliance: National network of structured settlement consultants serving plaintiff attorneys across the U.S. Overlaps with SPI on annuity-based settlement planning and plaintiff-attorney relationship management.
• Elite Settlement Solutions: Plaintiff-only settlement planning firm focused on structured settlements, Medicare Set-Aside services, and Special Needs Trusts. Directly competes with SPI for the same plaintiff-attorney referral relationships.
• Settlement Advisors: Plaintiff-side settlement planning firm providing structured settlement consulting, trust services, and fee deferrals. Highly comparable to SPI on customer base (plaintiff trial attorneys), service catalog, and referral-driven distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Ringler Associates: The largest structured settlement firm in the U.S. Ringler brokers annuity-based structured settlements for both plaintiff and defense counsel, making it the dominant intermediary whose carrier relationships and scale most directly compete with SPI's plaintiff-side practice.

Regional players

• Advocate Capital: Provides case-cost financing and financial services to plaintiff law firms. Adjacent to SPI's fee-deferral and attorney-financial services line through its shared plaintiff-attorney customer base.
• Counsel Financial: Provides plaintiff-firm financing and consulting services including settlement planning and fee deferral structures. Comparable on serving plaintiff attorney economics but with stronger focus on litigation lending.

Emerging players

• Atlantic Settlement Partners: Plaintiff-focused settlement planning firm offering structured settlements and financial advisory to personal injury clients. Comparable on target segment and consulting-led service model.
• Triple Crown Financial: Specialized financial planning firm serving plaintiffs and attorneys with settlement planning, structured settlements, and wealth management. Comparable on the personal-injury-focused advisory practice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1388597

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Settlement Professionals Inc