The insurance industry is facing a hard market thanks to multiple factors including the COVID pandemic. Hard markets are a time of high insurance premiums, more precise and complex underwriting, fewer policies being written, and a shrinking pool of competitors. With that in mind, insurers are raising money to make the most of opportunities as they arise. At the same time, investors are understandably cautious.
On this episode, Rebecca Berrebi, Founder and CEO of litigation funding advisory firm Avenue 33, LLC, explains the benefits of an advisory service to funders, lawyers, claimants and investors. She discusses the types of questions advisors get from their clients, what law firms and claimants should look for when partnering with a funder, the evolution of the funding industry over the last five years, and what the future holds for this rapidly-evolving space.
Nikola, a company that calls itself a pioneer in electric vehicles, has been accused of deception by a Hindenburg Research report. The report refers specifically to videos created to make prototype vehicles appear fully functional, and other alleged deceptions about the status and efficacy of its newest tech. Could a shareholder class action be forthcoming?
Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice has been asked to weigh in on a secret deal between two Lagos-based solicitors (Johnson and Johnson) and an offshoot of Drumcliffe Partners—an American litigation funding firm. The deal focuses on monies recovered from the OPL 245 oil scandal, after rampant misuse by Dan Etete. If the secret deal stands, as much as 35% of all recovered awards might then find their way to the US funder rather than the Nigerian people.
The Securities and Exchange Commission process continues as Burford Capital moves ahead with its plan for a listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The company has been listed on the AIM exchange in London since 2009. Burford announced that they have received approval for the new listing, however, official approval is still pending as customary listing conditions dictate.
Bryant Park Capital (“BPC”), a leading middle market investment bank, announced today that Fast Cash Legal, LLC (“Fast Cash” or the “Company”) recently closed on a $25 million senior debt transaction with a leading institutional investor to the specialty finance space.
The litigiousness of modern society cannot be denied. Now that so-called “nuclear” verdicts are more commonplace, insurance companies are raising premium prices to keep up. Dubbed “social inflation,” the ever-rising insurance costs are particularly impactful to property owners and real estate developers.
Liability exposures for companies around the world are increasing. Factors such as rising litigation, collective redress and large court verdicts, costly and frequent recalls in the automotive and food sectors, the disruptive impact of civil unrest and riots in a growing number of countries, and environmental concerns such as indoor air quality and higher fines and remediation standards will likely impact businesses and their insurers in the future – all in the face of a challenging global pandemic, according to a new report from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) which highlights five trends for the sector.
In this episode, Kevin Flood, COO of Segue Cloud Services, returns to the podcast to discuss Segue’s 3.0 upgrade (see the recent press release). Kevin explains how Segue’s cloud-based technology automates workflows and reduces operating costs, the specific enhancements of the 3.0 upgrade, how customer data is protected, and how the company accommodates client needs during the lockdown.
