Balance Legal Capital Raises New US $100MM Litigation Fund

Balance Legal Capital Raises New US $100MM Litigation Fund

LONDON, 25 MARCH 2020 – BALANCE LEGAL CAPITAL LLP, a London-based provider of litigation and arbitration finance, today announced it has raised a further US$100 million from 8 institutional investors in a new UK fund for deployment in the UK, Australia and other common law jurisdictions. The investors in the new fund include Balance’s anchor investor, which is increasing its commitment, and 7 further global institutional investors, located across the UK, US, Switzerland and Australia.  They include a university endowment fund, a European asset manager, and a global investment bank.  As with Balance’s prior funding vehicle, Balance continues to have complete delegated authority over its litigation investment decisions.  In addition to the discretionary capital pool, Balance has direct access to significant further co-investment capital from its investors. Balance will use the new funds to invest in commercial litigation and arbitration proceedings with a continued focus on disputes in common law jurisdictions, particularly the UK and Australia.  Balance will continue to invest across all sectors and commercial claim types including contract, tort, shareholder disputes, joint venture disputes, competition, intellectual property, class actions and more. Robert Rothkopf, Managing Partner of Balance Legal Capital, saidThese are difficult times but we feel it is nevertheless important to publicise important milestones – being the launch of our new fund, and the next step in the firm’s growth.  The interest we’ve had from investors is testament to the success of the business so far, the calibre of our team, and our ability to provide a great service to litigants and law firms.”  Balance Legal Capital LLP was advised on the establishment of its new fund by Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, London. About Balance Legal Capital Balance Legal Capital was founded in 2015. It is led by a highly experienced team of litigators formerly of Herbert Smith Freehills and Freshfields. Its investment committee includes Lord David Gold (former global senior partner of Herbert Smith and head of its disputes division) and Ian Terry (former managing partner of Freshfields and global head of disputes).  Fraser Shepherd (former litigation partner at Gilbert + Tobin, Sydney) and Nick Gardner (former head of Intellectual Property Litigation at Herbert Smith) are senior advisers to the investment committee. Balance Legal Capital LLP is a member of the Association of Litigation Funders of England and Wales (ALF) where Robert Rothkopf is also a board member.  Balance Legal Capital LLP is also a founder member of the Association of Litigation Funders of Australia (ALFA).  Balance Legal Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. https://www.balancelegalcapital.com
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New North Litigation Capital Launches, Backed by £50 Million in Senior Secured Financing from Pollen Street Capital

By John Freund |

Pollen Street Capital ("Pollen Street") today announces a new senior secured credit facility of up to £50 million to New North Litigation Capital (“New North”). New North is a commercial litigation finance company and a direct subsidiary of Capital Law, a Cardiff based law firm founded in 2006.

Capital Law has a strong track record in commercial litigation, having closed over 400 claimant cases since 2001 with a 95% win rate. Drawing on its senior leadership and experienced disputes team, Capital Law launched New North to address the underserved small to mid-market segment of commercial litigation market. 

New North will be the only litigation financier in the UK owned and operated by practicing lawyers, bringing their day to day lived experience of handling mid-market litigation into pricing the risk and the funding investment decisions.

Christopher Nott, Founder and CEO of New North commented: “We are pleased to work with Pollen Street on this financing to launch New North Litigation Capital. The funding supports us to bridge a critical gap by funding claims that are often deemed too small by other players in the market. We are excited to work with the Pollen Street team as we create this new kind of litigation funding.”

Connor Marshall-Mckie, Investment Director at Pollen Street, commented:New North addresses an important gap in the litigation funding space, focusing on smaller mid-market commercial litigation. With the significant opportunity available and the deep experience of the leadership team from Capital Law we are excited to partner with the team to support their growth.”

About Pollen Street

Pollen Street is a fast-growing and high-performing private capital asset manager. Established in 2013, the firm has built deep capability across the real estate, financial and business services sectors aligned with mega-trends shaping the future of the industry. Pollen Street manages over €7bn AUM across private equity and credit strategies on behalf of investors including leading public and corporate pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, asset managers, banks, and family offices from around the world. Pollen Street has a team of over 95 professionals.

Burford’s Q2 Profits Surge on New Capital

By John Freund |

Burford Capital has delivered its strongest quarterly performance in two years, buoyed by a swelling pipeline of high-value disputes and a fresh infusion of investor cash.

A press release in PR Newswire reveals that the New York- and London-listed funder more than doubled revenue and profitability in the three months to 30 June 2025. CEO Christopher Bogart credited “very substantial levels of new business” for the uptick, noting that demand for non-recourse financing remains “as strong as we’ve ever seen.”

The stellar quarter follows a lightning-quick, two-day debt offering in July that raised $500 million—capital Burford says will be deployed across a growing roster of commercial litigations, international arbitrations, and asset-recovery campaigns. Management also highlighted significant progress in portfolio rotations, underscoring the firm’s ability to monetise older positions while writing new ones at scale. Investors will get a deeper dive when Burford hosts its earnings call today at 9 a.m. EDT.

Burford’s results arrive amid heightened regulatory chatter in Washington and Westminster, yet the numbers suggest the industry’s largest player is unfazed—for now—by talk of disclosure mandates and tax levies. The firm emphasised that its legal-finance, risk-management and asset-recovery businesses remain uncorrelated to broader markets, a pitch that continues to resonate with pension funds and endowments hunting for alternative yield.

For litigation-finance insiders, Burford’s capital-raising prowess and improving margins could have ripple effects: rival funders may face stiffer competition for marquee cases, while law-firm partners might leverage the firm’s deeper pockets to negotiate richer portfolio deals.

International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) Announces End of Year Gala and Inaugural Legal Finance Awards

By John Freund |

 The International Legal Finance Association is pleased to announce its annual End-of-Year Gala Dinner on November 13, 2025.  The event will take place at The Law Society in London, bringing together leading figures from across the legal finance industry for an evening of celebration and reflection on the year’s achievements.  

The dinner will be accompanied by the inaugural Legal Finance Awards.  The awards are designed to recognize and honor excellence across the legal finance ecosystem. They will spotlight the achievements of funders, law firms, brokers, advisors, and other key contributors to the continued growth and innovation of the industry. Nominations for the awards are now open, with the nomination form available here

“The Gala Dinner is a chance for our members and guests to gather in person and celebrate the progress we've made over the year,” said Rupert Cunningham, Global Director of Growth and Membership Engagement at ILFA. “We are especially excited to launch the Legal Finance Awards, which will shine a light on the outstanding work and impact of professionals across our field.”

Tickets for the Gala are on sale now, with discounted pricing available for ILFA members.  More information can be found here.