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Past Event

Legal Funding Journal Virtual Town Hall – 2024 Recap / 2025 Outlook

In this insightful Virtual Town Hall recording—one of our most popular annual sessions—industry experts analyze the major milestones impacting the litigation finance industry and discuss key trends to watch. Topics covered include:
  • The shifting regulatory landscape in the U.S. and U.K.
  • The emergence of new funding models and platforms.
  • The role of technology and AI in driving operational efficiency.
Commercial Regulatory Issues

UK Government Minister Says Litigation Funding ‘Plays a Critical Role’

By Harry Moran |

Whilst industry commentators noted that litigation funding would likely not rank highly among the new government’s priorities following this year’s general election, there has been renewed interest in the government’s approach to third-party funding as the Civil Justice Council (CJC) continues its review of the sector.

In a speech to the Civil Justice Council’s 13th National Forum, Heidi Alexander MP highlighted the ongoing work of the CJC’s review of litigation funding and reinforced the government’s message to the third-party funding industry. In a speech that covered a wide range of issues under the new government’s approach to civil justice, Ms Alexander highlighted the CJC’s recently published interim report and its working group, which she described as “expertly chaired by Mr Justice Simon picken and Dr John Sorabji.”

She once again laid out the government’s position, saying that “third-party litigation funding plays a critical role in enabling access to justice and as a government we want to make sure it’s fair for all.” Acknowledging that there was some disappointment they had not picked up the previous parliament’s legislation to solve the PACCAR judgment, Ms Alexander said that “we want to consider this issue carefully and holistically.”

Before moving onto other issues, she highlighted the ongoing review of third-party funding as “incredibly valuable”, and encouraged interested parties to engage with the consultation before it closes at the end of January.

The recording of all the forum’s speakers, including the minister’s remarks, can be found on YouTube.

Announcements Commercial People Moves

International Legal Finance Association Adds Arcadia Finance as New Member

By Harry Moran |

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) today announced the addition of Arcadia Finance to the only global association of commercial legal finance companies. 

Launching in June, Arcadia provides specialized services for U.S.-based commercial and patent litigation, domestic and international arbitration, and funding for a wide variety of other litigation-based assets, from mass torts and law firm lending to patent acquisition. 

“ILFA is pleased to welcome the newly founded Arcadia Finance to its growing membership base,” said Shannon Campagna, ILFA’s interim Executive Director. “Arcadia’s team is one of the most experienced in the industry, and the firm will play a crucial role in promoting the highest standards of operation and service for the commercial legal finance sector worldwide.” 

Arcadia was founded by three litigation finance industry veterans with over 25 years of combined experience and who have invested over $425 million across 80+ deals. The trio formerly led various legal and investment units at ILFA member firms, and each holds the title of managing director at Arcadia: Dave Kerstein, former managing director and senior investment officer at Validity and senior investment manager at Bentham IMF, now Omni Bridgeway; Ronit Cohen, former portfolio counsel at Validity and legal counsel at Bentham IMF; and Joshua Libling, former director of risk analytics at Validity. 

"At Arcadia Finance, we believe that innovative financial solutions are a crucial part of the legal industry and capable of benefitting all participants in their pursuit of just outcomes," Joshua Libling, Managing Director, stated. "ILFA is the preeminent industry association and we’re proud to join it and to share our expertise in pursuit of responsible and sustained evolution of our industry. We look forward to working alongside other leaders to set new standards and expand the possibilities of legal finance." 

About the International Legal Finance Association 

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) represents the global commercial legal finance community, and its mission is to engage, educate, and influence legislative, regulatory, and judicial landscapes as the voice of the commercial legal finance industry. It is the only global association of commercial legal finance companies and is an independent, non-profit trade association promoting the highest standards of operation and service for the commercial legal finance sector. ILFA has local chapter representation around the world. 

For more information, visit www.ilfa.com and find us on LinkedIn and X @ILFA_Official. 

About Arcadia Finance 

Arcadia is a U.S. commercial litigation, patent litigation, and domestic and international arbitration-focused legal funder offering solutions to all participants in the legal market. Led by industry veterans with over $425 million invested across over 80 deals, the firm offers customized financial solutions for all — from litigation boutiques to AmLaw firms and corporations. Arcadia’s mission is to invest in meritorious litigation, and with backing from multiple and flexible capital providers, the team find new ways to help clients and law firms finance, monetize, and share risk on their legal assets. Arcadia aims to make securing litigation funding as fast and convenient as possible. Going beyond traditional litigation finance agreements, Arcadia provides “frictionless funding” through the adaptable and transparent partnerships necessary for clients and law firms to make the most well-informed decisions. At every stage from pre-litigation to appeal and enforcement, Arcadia has the experience, flexibility, and capital to assist. 

For more information, visit https://www.arcadiafin.com/meet-our-team

Case Developments Commercial

LCM Funding Antitrust Claim Against Microsoft Over Cloud Computing Fees

By Harry Moran |

Among the global tech giants facing the most scrutiny from regulatory bodies, Microsoft has increasingly come under the spotlight in both Europe and America for potential breaches of antitrust rules by its cloud computing business. A lawsuit filed today suggests that these external pressures may be ramping up, as a £1 billion claim is targeting the company for allegedly overcharging its UK customers.

Reporting by TechCrunch covers the news that a new antitrust lawsuit has been filed against Microsoft, which alleges that the company has been overcharging customers of its cloud computing competitors to license Windows Server software. The claim, which was filed today in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), is being brought on an opt-out basis, representing any companies or organisations who purchased a license to use Windows Server from either AWS, GCP or Alibaba Cloud from December 2018. The lawsuit is seeking around £1 billion in compensation with Litigation Capital Management (LCM) providing funding through its British office, LCM Funding UK Limited.

Dr. Maria Luisa Stasi, the Proposed Class Representative (PCR), said that the claim “aims to challenge Microsoft’s anti-competitive behaviour, push them to reveal exactly how much businesses in the UK have been illegally penalised, and return the money to organisations that have been unfairly overcharged.” Dr Stasi has instructed Scott+Scott UK LLP as solicitors for the litigation, with the law firm working with barristers from Brick Court Chambers and One Essex Court Chambers. 

In a separate post, Exton Advisors announced that it had advised Dr Stasi on securing third-party funding from LCM, with Managing Director John Astill stating: “This is another example of holding large corporates to account and ensuring fair entry to consumer markets by smaller players. Competition laws exist to protect both individuals and companies, and it is only with the benefit of third-party funding that these claims can ultimately succeed. Exton Advisors are delighted to play our part in ensuring claims like these are funded in a timely, efficient, and transparent manner.”

James Hain-Cole, partner at Scott+Scott, said: “Litigation Funding Agreements have changed a lot since the collective action regime was implemented and it was helpful to obtain advice on market standard from Exton, who have seen a lot of LFAs and have great visibility of the funding market.”

More information about the lawsuit can be found on the UK Cloud Licensing Claim website.

Commercial Legal Innovation

Wexler Announces $1.4 Million Pre-Seed Financing, Global Law Firm Adoption and Launch of AI Agent to Enhance Dispute Resolution

By Harry Moran |

Wexler AI, the AI-powered legal fact intelligence platform, today announced major enhancements driving adoption among leading law firms, including Burges Salmon and a top AmLaw100 firm. Clifford Chance is also exploring the platform for use in its world-leading litigation and dispute resolution practice. Wexler's platform automates essential fact-checking and intelligence gathering in high-stakes legal disputes, allowing lawyers to focus on more complex and strategic value-driven activities. These advancements follow a $1.4M pre-seed funding round led by Myriad Venture Partners, with support from Entrepreneur First, prominent angel investors at ComplyAdvantage, Moonpig, Tractable, and CreditKudos, fueling Wexler's growth and mission to redefine litigation worldwide.

Since its launch in April of this year, Wexler AI has processed over one million queries, achieved approximately 2X month-over-month growth, and more than tripled its annual recurring revenue (ARR). Wexler's advanced platform enables law firms to help manage large caseloads with greater accuracy, reallocating resources from time-intensive manual review to high-value legal strategy. Built by security and privacy experts, the platform uses user-specific encryption keys, masks personal data, and meets ISO 27001, GDPR, and AWS Cloud Security standards.

"Wexler assists lawyers working on the world's most complex cases. The platform delivers critical, verified facts that legal teams can act on with full confidence," said Gregory Mostyn, co-founder and CEO of Wexler AI. "With support from Myriad Venture Partners, and Entrepreneur First, and working closely with Burges Salmon and also Clifford Chance, among others, we're not just transforming how the legal industry tackles the time and efficiencies of fact-finding, but helping our customers generate greater business value for their clients."

There is significant potential to improve efficiencies in the litigation document review process. Wexler's AI approach reduces manual work, minimizes risk, and uncovers critical facts faster. Unlike traditional eDiscovery tools that merely organize documents, Wexler is purpose-built for high-stakes dispute resolution, delivering insights with an accuracy matching seasoned litigators.

Central to this is KiM, Wexler's advanced agent for complex dispute tasks, which produces verified work output directly from case facts, automating steps like drafting, generating court applications, and extracting data from vast document sets. More than a passive tool, Wexler uncovers red flags, suggests follow-ups, and enhances case strategy as an active partner, enabling legal teams to drive efficiency and deliver results on the most challenging cases.

"Wexler is a powerful AI tool that is clearly designed for the types and volumes of work faced in dispute resolution," said Tom Whittaker, director at Burges Salmon. "It allows us to identify relevant facts and produce useful work in a relatively short time, augmenting the work of our expert teams by providing them with additional methods to achieve their objectives. It has been a pleasure to work with the Wexler team over a number of years to continually improve its functionality to help meet our clients' and colleagues' high expectations.

With new funding from Myriad, Wexler is expanding its platform in 2025 including new features such as automated document drafting, advanced fact-checking tools, and streamlined discovery requests. These enhancements will extend Wexler's impact beyond the legal sector, offering new applications in compliance and HR investigations.

"Wexler AI is redefining fact-finding for legal and investigative work, and we see enormous potential in its unique approach," said Chris Fisher, founder and managing partner of Myriad Venture Partners. "Their rapid growth and ability to deliver verified, actionable information are transforming how legal teams and other professionals manage complex data. We're excited to support Wexler's journey and look forward to their continued momentum and innovation."

Wexler's founding team blends deep expertise in AI, law, and business. Gregory Mostyn and Kush Madlani met at Entrepreneur First, united by a vision of creating a category defining applied AI company. Gregory saw the inefficiencies of litigation firsthand when his barrister, then judge father, returned from work with binders piled high to the roof of his office. Kush, a former JP Morgan derivatives trader, began automating workflows with Python before completing a Machine Learning Master's at UCL and joining Tractable, where he developed fraud-detection models and continuous improvement systems. Kush's scientific background pairs perfectly with Gregory's commercial experience as a marketing and sales director to transform dispute resolution. 

Wexler AI collaborates with partners across the legal sector, from AM 100 law firms to in-house teams at major enterprises. Interested clients can request a demo at https://www.wexler.ai/.

About Wexler AI

Wexler AI tackles the world's most complex cases by streamlining fact analysis for legal, compliance, eDiscovery, tax, and forensics teams. Trusted by top global law firms, Wexler is redefining fact-finding through a combination of AI and human expertise. For more information, visit https://www.wexler.ai/.

About Myriad Venture Partners

Myriad Venture Partners is an early-stage venture firm defining the future of business solutions. Investing in visionary AI, clean technology, and B2B software leaders, Myriad brings decades of expertise and a robust corporate and financial partnership network. By connecting entrepreneurs, corporate partners, industry leaders, and co-investors, Myriad is changing the ways businesses operate, compete, and create value.

Case Developments Commercial

Victoria Supreme Court Approves $271.8M Settlement in Uber Class Action

By Harry Moran |

Australia continues to be a lucrative jurisdiction for the funding of high-value class actions, as demonstrated this week by the approval of a $271.8 million settlement which will see the litigation funder receive 30 percent of the total sum.

Yesterday, the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria delivered its judgment in the case of Andrianakis v Uber Technologies Inc and Others, approving a $271.8 million settlement to end the group proceedings against the ride-sharing company. The proceedings, which were first brought by Maurice Blackburn in 2019, alleged that the group members had suffered losses and damage due to Uber ride-sharing services operating contrary to regulations between 2014 and 2017. The group proceedings received third-party litigation funding from Harbour Fund III, L.P.

The Court approved the settlement agreement, finding that it was ‘fair and reasonable and in the interests of group members’, with Uber paying the $271.8 million without admission of liability. In its judgment, the Court also ordered the following deductions from the overall settlement sum: $38.7 million to Maurice Blackburn for legal costs and disbursements, $81.5 million to Harbour as its funding commission, and a total of $220,000 to the plaintiffs and sample group members, as compensation for the work undertaken by them in the proceedings.

In her written judgment, Justice Patricia Matthews addressed the scale of the funder’s commission and acknowledged that whilst the 30 percent proportion is ‘toward the higher end of such commissions’, she emphasised that it is ‘reasonable in the context of such complex litigation with a risk profile quite distinct from, for example, a shareholder class action.’ Justice Matthews also highlighted the crucial role Harbour had played in ensuring that these proceedings were even viable in the first place, declaring that ‘without the involvement of Harbour, there may not have been any compensation available for group members at all.’

The full settlement approval order can be read here.

Commercial

Pogust Goodhead Looks to Cut Staff Numbers

By Harry Moran |

Whilst large group claims can attract headlines with staggeringly large amounts of compensation, for the law firms who specialise in such cases, the costs of running these claims take a heavy toll given the prolonged case durations.

Reporting by The Law Society Gazette reveals that Pogust Goodhead is undertaking staff cuts potentially resulting in around 40 to 50 job losses in its London office, with employees being let go from both business operations and legal departments. These cuts represent a 20% staff reduction, with the Gazette reporting that the law firm was also exploring letting go around 100 employees in Brazil, with most of these working as call centre staff.

Analysing the reasons behind these staff cuts, the article notes that despite being well-known for its high-value class action claims, Pogust Goodhead does not see consistent income from these lawsuits whilst they are ongoing. As a result, the law firm is reliant on capital provided by outside litigation funding, such as the landmark £450 million investment partnership with Gramercy Funds Management.

A spokesperson from Pogust Goodhead provided the following comment to the Gazette: “We were established with the ambitious goal of providing justice for millions of people who have been wronged by multinational companies. It is well known these companies have infinite resources. While it is an incredibly difficult decision, it is only right that as we move forward, we position our firm strongly to provide access to justice for clients, both, existing and those in the future. We will be running a formal consultation with staff through a staff representative group over the coming weeks before finalising how many people will be affected.”

Community Spotlights

Community Spotlight: Reid Zeising, Founder and CEO, Gain

By John Freund |

Reid Zeising is the Founder and CEO of Gain, a company transforming the personal injury landscape. Gain integrates the industry’s leading AI-enhanced Letter of Protection (LOP) servicing platform with professionally managed services and financial solutions, serving healthcare providers, attorneys, and plaintiffs. 

Company Name and Description: Gain

Company Website: gainservicing.com

Year Founded: 2011

Headquarters:  3424 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326, United States

Area of Focus:  Personal Injury ecosystem

Member Quote: Gain is committed to leveling the insurance playing field for those injured through no fault of their own, ensuring they have access to the quality healthcare and financial peace of mind they deserve.

Announcements Commercial People Moves

Fenchurch Legal Strengthens its Board with an External Adviser

By Harry Moran |

Fenchurch Legal, a specialist in litigation funding for small and medium-sized UK law firms, has strengthened its board with The Rt Hon Ranil Jayawardena joining as an external adviser.

This appointment reinforces Fenchurch Legal’s strategic priorities of bringing independent views to its board, which enhances its governance processes, risk oversight, and decision-making capabilities.

As a former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena brings a distinguished track record. During his tenure in government, he held key positions, including International Trade Minister and Environment Secretary, where he worked on post-Brexit trade agreements, national infrastructure, and agricultural policy. Prior to his political career in Westminster, Ranil built his experience in the financial sector at Lloyds Banking Group – and served his community in local government, where he was responsible for £400 million AUM.

Louisa Klouda, CEO of Fenchurch Legal, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ranil to the board as we embark on our next phase of growth. Ranil’s knowledge and experience of regulation and financial services, alongside his experience as a Non-Executive Director on other boards, will be invaluable during this important time. Ranil’s external oversight will complement our existing board, enhancing our focus on strong governance and risk management.”

Commenting on his new role, Ranil Jayawardena added: “Having served in government for many years, I am excited to embark on this new chapter in business and support Fenchurch Legal’s growth ambitions. Litigation funding is an important enabler of access to justice, and I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued success.”