Our guest today is Stephen Kyriacou Jr., Managing Director and Senior Lawyer at Aon, in the Litigation Risk and Special Opportunities Groups. We spoke with Stephen about the range of products Aon offers, trends in the litigation insurance space, the challenges he faces as a legal insurance broker, and how he sees legal insurance and litigation funding evolving over the coming years. [podcast_episode episode="12450" content="title,player,details"]
In a post on LinkedIn, Exton Advisors announced the launch of its inaugural Singapore Litigation Funding Conference, set to take place on 7 March 2024. The litigation funding advisory company is working with David Grief, CEO of David Grief International Consultancy (DGIC), to deliver its first event covering the ‘increasingly thriving market’ for litigation finance in Singapore.Whilst the full event agenda has not yet been revealed, Exton Advisors confirmed the following speakers who will be taking part in the conference:
Calvin Liang, Advocate, Duxton Hill Chambers
Teck Wee Tiong, Partner and Joint Head of the Sustainability & Responsible Business Practice, WongPartnership LLP
Carolina Carlstedt, Investment Manager, Litigation Capital Management
Jasmine Chin-Sabado, Ministry of Law – Singapore
Hasan Tahsin Azizagaoglu, Associate, Bench Walk Advisors
Anthony Ellwood-Russell, Investment Manager, Omni Bridgeway
Timothy Cooke, Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Daryl Chew, Office Managing Partner, Three Crowns LLP
An announcement from HFW reveals that the law firm is expanding its operations in Australia with the appointment of Maurice Thompson as a partner in its Melbourne office, where he will lead the firm’s litigation funding practice. Thompson, who has joined the firm along with three of his colleagues from Clyde & Co., is a household name with 30 years of experience in complex disputes across Australia and the Middle East. HFW’s announcement emphasised Thompson as ‘having the leading litigation funding practice in Australia’, with the firm keen to make use of his expertise in class actions and funded disputes in the region.Commenting on his move to HFW, Thompson stated:“I also look forward to leading HFW's global litigation funding team and assisting the firm and its clients in taking advantage of opportunities arising with developments in the litigation/disputes funding market internationally. The firm has an ambition to become a market leader in litigation/disputes funding and the opportunity to contribute to this initiative was a major attraction for me."HFW Australia’s managing partner, Gavin Vallely described Thompson as “an expert practitioner in the offshore energy, aviation, insurance, litigation funding and, more recently, autonomous ships and aircraft sectors.” Vallely further highlighted Thompson’s “vast experience managing large scale multijurisdictional arbitrations and litigation,” and explained that this latest appointment was a key part of HFW’s growth strategy in Australia.
The European Litigation Funders Association (ELFA) is pleased to announce that IVO Capital Partners, an independent French investment manager with nearly 10 years of active presence in the litigation funding industry, has joined ELFA.Paul de Servigny, manager of litigation finance strategy at IVO Capital Partners stated: “Active since 2014 we have witnessed firsthand the strong development of the litigation finance industry in Europe for claimants and lawyers seeking funding as well as for investors seeking different strategies and return profiles compared to typical illiquid offerings. Joining ELFA and being able to work with our fellow funders is the logical step as the market grows and further institutionalizes itself. We are very excited in actively participating to help guide and advise the various national and European institutions and governmental bodies who have shown, for good reason, more and more interest in litigation finance.”Charles Demoulin, Deminor’s Chief Investment Officer and ELFA Director, commented: “We are delighted to have IVO Capital Partners joini ELFA. Based in France, their team has extensive experience and expertise in litigation funding specifically bringing on board a French perspective. With IVO Capital Partners, we further increase the number of European jurisdictions being represented in the association. While litigation funding is a global phenomenon, the ability to acknowledge, understand and address the regional and local specificities from a legal and cultural perspective specifically in the EU remains a priority for ELFA and its members. We look forward to involving IVO Capital Partners in all our activities. We trust their contribution to ELFA’s mission, together with those of all existing and future members, will be highly valuable for the litigation funding industry and the legal community as a whole.”About The European Litigation Funders Association:ELFA was founded by three leading litigation funders with a European footprint, Deminor, Nivalion AG, and Omni Bridgeway Limited. ELFA was established to serve as the European voice of the commercial litigation funding industry. With the objective of representing the industry’s interests before governmental bodies, international organizations and professional associations, ELFA also aims to act as a clearinghouse and reference for relevant information, research and data regarding the uses and applications of commercial legal finance within the European continent.About IVO Capital Partners:Founded in 2012, IVO Capital Partners is an independent French management company specialized in various forms of corporate debt. They invest in listed and unlisted credit with a predilection for special situations offering yield premiums on international markets, particularly emerging markets and litigation finance. The company manages €1.3 billion in assets and employs around 30 people at its Paris offices.
The biggest story from the UK litigation finance industry in 2023 was undoubtedly the Supreme Court’s ruling in PACCAR, raising the greatest challenge to the viability of the UK funding market in recent times. However, it appears that UK funders are now receiving support from the government, bolstered by awareness around the role of litigation funding in providing access to justice for the sub-postmasters in the British Post Office scandal. In an article from the Financial Times, the UK justice secretary, Alex Chalk KC stated that the government “will be reversing the damaging effects of PACCAR at the first legislative opportunity.” This latest statement firmly establishes the government’s position with regard to the Supreme Court’s ruling, building upon its efforts to reduce the impact on UK litigation funding through the amendment to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC).The catalyst behind this definitive proclamation from the government appears to be the renewed public attention on the British Post Office scandal, in which litigation funding played a key role in allowing the former sub-postmasters to bring their claims against the Post Office. Alan Bates, from the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, had once again highlighted the crucial support that third-party funding had played in his group’s fight for justice, describing it as an “essential financing tool.”Whilst the justice secretary’s proclamation will be well-received by UK litigation funders, it is not yet clear what concrete steps the government will be taking beyond the existing DMCC amendment. Gary Barnett, executive director of the International Legal Finance Association (ILFA), emphasized that the type of funding that supported the sup-postmasters “is now under threat,” and called for the government to move quickly to provide a legislative fix.
LegalPay, India’s first litigation funder and legal solutions provider, has announced the launch of a zero-interest credit line for enterprises, startups, individual business owners, and freelancers to settle legal disputes while preserving their working capital. LegalPay aims to disburse INR 200 crore in 2024 through its own NBFC Padmalaya Finserve along with other partner NBFCs. Named Quick Settle, this innovative structured financing is designed to streamline the resolution of legal disputes with a flexible 6–12-month repayment plan, enabling parties to resolve conflicts without depleting their working capital. In a move set to transform legal finance in India, Quick Settle aims to facilitate amicable dispute resolution by enabling parties involved in disputes to settle claims without impacting their working capitalthrough a zero-interest credit line offered to the defendants with a flexible 6–12-month repayment cycle. Kundan Shahi, Founder and CEO of LegalPay, said, "Our vision is to bridge the gap between legal disputes and swift resolutions. Quick Settle is not just a financial product. It catalyzes change, fostering a culture of collaboration and resolution. By allowing defendants to manage their working capital efficiently through a zero-interest repayment cycle, we aim to foster a more conducive environment for businesses to thrive. Quick Settle embodies years of litigation funding expertise, adopting a tailored approach because we understand that one size does not fit all. This structured financing option enablesdefendants to settle claims seamlessly, alleviating the stress of legal battles without compromising their working capital." Quick Settle is expected to disrupt innovation in legal finance, specifically tailored to improve the efficiency of the Indian judicial system, which is currently burdened with an overwhelming backlog of 61 lakh cases in the country’s 25 High Courts. By offering defendants manageable repayment options and claimants immediate settlement funds, Quick Settle aims to streamline the judicial process and foster a culture of amicable resolutions. Founded in 2019, LegalPay has funded over 44,000 commercial cases and underwritten a staggering 92,000 cases nationwide. With Quick Settle, LegalPay aims to further disrupt a potential $200Billion market by bringing financial relief to businesses and having a positive social impact by expediting dispute settlements. Quick Settle ensures that the businesses receive their claim amount on day one, thus proving to be a game-changer for companies looking to bolster their financial strength. With QuickSettle, companies can navigate conflicts without lawsuits, preserving valuable business relations with vendors and customers. About LegalPay: LegalPay is a leading name in the Indian litigation funding market, dedicated to providing comprehensive financial solutions to individuals and businesses involved in legal disputes. Currently managing over INR 2800 Crores worth of claims, LegalPay has emerged as a leader in litigation funding, bridging the gap between legal expertise and financial solutions with a focus on innovation, transparency, and client satisfaction.
Whilst it is not uncommon for funded litigation to involve a political aspect, with disputes involving national governments being a regular occurrence, few cases are attracting as much attention as one involving the former President of the United States. A judge’s ruling in a defamation case brought against Donald Trump has highlighted the issue of the potential political bias of organizations who fund lawsuits.Court documents posted on CourtListener reveal that in the case of Carroll v. Trump, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has denied former President Donald Trump’s request to use ‘any evidence or argument concerning litigation funding in the presence of jury.’ Judge Kaplan’s Memorandum And Order On Plaintiff's In Limine Motion covered a number of evidentiary issues in the defamation case, including E. Jean Carroll’s choice of counsel or use of litigation funding. Judge Kaplan’s order provided an in-depth explanation as to why the defendant was prohibited from raising evidence around Carroll’s use of third-party funding. Kaplan first explained why the Court refused to allow Trump to make arguments around the source of litigation funding in the other case (Carroll II) brought against him by Carroll over allegations of sexual assault. After allowing limited discovery into the plaintiff’s use of litigation funding, the Court found that regardless of which organization was funding Carroll’s lawsuit, ‘Mr. Trump had more than ample evidence before that jury to the political and personal views of Ms. Carroll.’Citing the reasoning in the previous case, Judge Kaplan wrote that ‘Mr. Trump’s position on this issue is no stronger now than it was in Carol II’. Kaplan explained that Trump already ‘has an ample basis for challenging her credibility without getting into a collateral and time consuming dispute’ about the existence of any third-party funding, ‘let alone the political views of whoever funded that organization.’Kaplan concluded by firmly stating that ‘the prejudice inherent in such an exercise would outweigh substantially any probative value.’
As LFJ reported earlier this week, the ongoing saga of the $16.1 billion award in the Argentina YPF case is continuing to demonstrate the difficult process of judgement enforcement and collection. However, there has now been a positive update for Burford Capital, as the U.S. judge has ruled against Argentina’s request to block the funder seizing assets to secure the award.Reporting by Reuters covers today’s judgement from U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska, who ruled that Argentina had been given a “reasonable period of time” to assign assets as security for the $16.1 billion award. This ruling was in response to Argentina’s filing of a request to delay the start of any asset seizure by Burford Capital, with the funder having intended to begin seizing Argentine assets as soon as this week.Judge Preska stated that the Argentine government had failed to either pledge assets to secure the award or pursue an expedited appeal against the judgement. As Judge Preska’s original deadline (January 10th) for Argentine to pledge assets has now passed, it can be expected that Burford Capital will look to immediately begin the asset seizure process.At the time of publication, neither Burford Capital nor Argentina had provided a comment to Reuters.
In a post on LinkedIn, Dealbridge.ai announced the appointment of Adam Frederick as the company’s new CEO. The Deal Relationship Management (DRM) platform stated that Frederick would lead its ‘upcoming growth phase, building upon the remarkable strides made by Jon Burlinson, Joshua Masia, and the entire DealBridge.ai team over the past year.’Frederick brings a ‘a rich background as a seasoned executive and multi-time founder in the SaaS startup realm’ to Dealbridge.ai, having most recently served as the Global President & CEO Americas for Morrow Sodali. Frederick’s career highlights also include founding both Samurai Data Analytics and Oxford Intelligence Partners, in addition to serving six years as managing director of the corporate solutions group for NASDAQ.Learn more about Dealbridge.ai’s work in their LFJ article on ‘Navigating Patent Litigation: The Crucial Role of Generative AI Platforms’.
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