PHILADELPHIA (FEBRUARY 2026) – After an extensive and hard-fought bankruptcy process initiated by the Diocese of Camden following mounting lawsuits alleging decades of child sexual abuse, a global settlement totaling $180 million has been reached to resolve clergy abuse claims, with Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan representing survivors who played a leadership role in the settlement process. After years of intensive negotiation, this settlement agreement represents one of the most significant accountability resolutions of its kind in New Jersey and nationally.
A nine-member Tort Claimant Committee representing more than 300 sexual abuse survivors, formed to safeguard survivors’ due process rights after the Diocese of Camden filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reached the settlement with the Diocese and its insurers. The committee was represented by bankruptcy counsel and lawyers from multiple law firms. The resolution was reached in proceedings before the District of New Jersey and is awaiting approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court. The settlement fund includes contributions from both the Diocese of Camden and its insurers and is intended to compensate survivors over the past several decades who submitted claims during the bankruptcy process.
Beyond the size of the settlement, the agreement is notable for the level of transparency required of the Diocese of Camden, including broader disclosure of documentation and information to the public about the history of sexual abuse in the Diocese. Survivor advocates say these transparency measures represent a critical step toward meaningful accountability and institutional change.
Clergy Abuse Survivors Represented by LBDRR Take a Leadership Role
Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan represents multiple survivors in the proceedings and played a significant leadership role in the settlement process. The firm had two clients selected to serve on the Tort Claimant Committee. One of those committee members was represented in collaboration with Baldante & Rubenstein. LBDRR also represents other claimants in collaboration with Ketterer, Browne, and Davani.
“This global settlement is not just about a dollar figure,” said Stewart Ryan, partner at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan. “It reflects years of advocacy by survivors who demanded a process that was fair, transparent, and centered on accountability. Our clients helped shape an outcome that forces long-overdue acknowledgment and change.”
How the $180 Global Settlement Agreement With the Diocese of Camden Will Work
The global settlement establishes an individualized claims evaluation process designed to assess each survivor’s abuse and resulting harm on its own merits and determine compensation accordingly.
“Survivors refused to let the Diocese’s bankruptcy silence their voices or diminish the harm they endured as children.” said Alexandria MacMaster, Partner at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan. “Instead, it revealed and amplified their resolve, strength, and their unwavering demand for accountability.”
The Diocese of Camden filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020 following extensive clergy sexual abuse litigation that emerged in the wake of a 2018 New Jersey Attorney General investigation and the 2019 statute of limitations reform in New Jersey related to child sexual abuse. The Diocese has continued to operate throughout the bankruptcy process while survivors and their counsel pursued meaningful compensation and reforms.
Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan LLP (www.laffeybucci.com) is a Philadelphia-based, trauma-informed personal injury law firm dedicated to representing individuals who have suffered severe injuries due to negligence. Since 2009, the firm has provided exceptional “leave no stone unturned” representation in personal injury, construction accident cases, workers’ compensation, workplace falls, and product liability. The crime victim department, staffed by former sex crimes prosecutors, exclusively represents survivors of abuse, assault, and human trafficking nationwide. The firm’s attorneys bring over 140 years of combined experience and have secured more than $850 million in compensation, providing a track record of relentless advocacy and results-driven representation for their clients.