Litigation Funder Archetype Wins Injunction Against Co-Founder

Litigation funder Archetype Capital Partners won a court order barring its co-founder from using the firm’s proprietary systems for mass tort cases while its lawsuit accusing him of stealing trade secrets proceeds.

Archetype’s trade secret and breach of contract claims against Andrew Schneider will likely succeed, a Nevada federal judge ruled, pointing to evidence including that the law firm he joined has expanded its case inventory to over 148,000 from 2,590 cases since employing Archetype’s systems.

Judge Gloria M. Navarro of the US District Court for the District of Nevada ruled the court lacks personal jurisdiction over Schneider’s law firm, Bullock Legal Group LLC, and dismissed the firm as a party. She barred Bullock Legal from distributing the firm and Schneider’s share of a $5.6 billion settlement of a video game addiction case, however, citing evidence the deal was structured on Archetype’s proprietary methodologies.

Douglas Mayer and Schneider in 2020 founded Archetype, which developed models for reviewing and underwriting mass tort litigation, claims, and lending solutions, according to the order. Bullock Legal litigates complex mass tort cases and executed a non-disclosure agreement with Archetype in 2024 to discuss funding the video game addiction litigation. The parties didn’t end up working together and Schneider joined Bullock Legal later that year, the order said.

Archetype sued Schneider and Bullock Legal in September, accusing them of stealing its “innovative methods” for funding mass tort litigation and pilfering millions of dollars’ worth of business. The complaint alleged Schneider emailed Bullock Legal various documents containing trade secrets while still working at Archetype, and used them to expand Bullock Legal’s practice.

Navarro rejected Schneider’s argument that he didn’t misappropriate the trade secrets, pointing to evidence he participated in a call to implement Archetype’s methodology to improve the video game addiction settlement and circulated Archetype’s intake documents to Bullock Legal and an Archetype competitor.

Archetype established irreparable harm by demonstrating Schneider’s actions cut the funder out of the mass-tort market space, according to the order, which cited Bullock’s significant expansion and recent vendor revenue exceeding $20 million annually.

The court also ordered Schneider to return all Archetype property and materials containing trade secrets and barred him from soliciting or interfering with Archetype’s customers.

Fabian VanCott represents Archetype. Albright Stoddard Warnick & Albright represents Schneider.

The case is Archetype Cap. Partners LLC v. Schneider, D. Nev., No. 25-cv-01686, 12/5/25.