noun. A sharing in the proceeds of a lawsuit by an outside party who has funded or assisted in funding the litigation.

noun. In law, a species of maintenance, being a bargain which a person not otherwise interested makes with a plaintiff or defendant to receive a share of the land or other matter in suit in the event of success, the champertor carrying on or assisting to carry on the party's suit or defense at his own expense; the purchase of a suit or the right of suing. Champerty is a punishable offense by common law, and in some jurisdictions by statute.

noun. A partnership in power. Also written champarty.

noun. Partnership in power; equal share of authority.

noun. The prosecution or defense of a suit, whether by furnishing money or personal services, by one who has no legitimate concern therein, in consideration of an agreement that he shall receive, in the event of success, a share of the matter in suit; maintenance with the addition of an agreement to divide the thing in suit. See Maintenance.

noun. investing money into an individual’s law suit.

noun. an unethical agreement between an attorney and client that the attorney would sue and pay the costs of the client's suit in return for a portion of the damages awarded

"Maintenance “is officious intermeddling in a suit which in no way belongs to the intermeddler, by maintaining or assisting either party to the action, with money or otherwise, to prosecute or defend it,” in other words, helping another prosecute a suit, while champerty is a species of maintenance “in which the intermeddler makes a bargain with one of the parties to the action to be compensated out of the proceeds of the action,” in other words maintaining a suit in return for a financial interest in the outcome."