The pandemic has made an unwitting impact on nearly every industry. Its impact on litigation funding was largely positive. Since the first COVID shutdowns began, funders around the world have been besieged with interest from investors, businesses, and clients hoping to launch individual or collective actions. Litigation Capital Management (LCM) has seen exceptional progress, even within the funding industry.
Longford Capital Management, LP, a leader in commercial litigation finance, announced the final closing of its most recent fund (including a parallel fund, “Fund III”), at $682 million. Longford’s assets under management now exceed $1.2 billion, placing it among the largest private equity firms focused on investments in legal assets. Fund III is the third private investment fund Longford has closed since the firm began operating in 2013.
The Supreme Court of Victoria declined to allow a 25% contingency fee. The decision represents the first time the court has used its power to make a Group Cost Order—which the court determined was preferable to a “no win, no fee” arrangement.
In the early days of litigation funding, legal firms and funders were separate entities. As the industry has grown more widely accepted, an increasing number of law firms are teaming up with funders to offer clients an array of new services. Now some are questioning whether this is really a positive development.
LegalPay, a start-up focused on third-party litigation finance, has announced the successful closure of its maiden litigation fund. The Arbitration Focused SPV I, a smaller ticket special purpose vehicle (SPV), designed for upper-retail investors, was launched last month, and has now been oversubscribed, a LegalPay statement said.
