Omni Bridgeway Limited (ASX: OBL) (Omni Bridgeway, OBL) is pleased to announce  Financial Close of its Secondary Market Transaction ,which was first announced upon signing on 18 December 2024 (link). The transaction involves the establishment of Fund 9 as a continuation fund, with funds managed by Ares Management Corporation (Ares) as the capital provider. Fund 9 has acquired a number of Omni Bridgeway’s co-investment interests in its funds.

An initial payment of A$275m has been received from Ares, which has been used to fully repay OBL’s outstanding debt of A$250m and to meet transaction costs, with the balance going to OBL to fund working capital requirements.

OBL is entitled to a further upfront consideration payment to reflect the balance of value of the interests acquired by Fund 9 at the time of signing.  This is due to be received from Ares at the end of March 2025. OBL expects the total upfront proceeds to be in the range of A$310m–A$320m, subject to interim FX movements.

1H25 results webcastFollowing the release of its results for the six months to 31 December 2024, OBL will host a market briefing at 9:30am AEDT on Thursday 27 February 2025. To access this event, please register at https://webcast.openbriefing.com/obl-hyr-2025/.

Legal-Bay, the premier Pre Settlement Funding Company, announces today that they are expanding their FELA and railroad injury claims department due to an increase in railway worker personal injury claims and the recent wrongful death lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern Railroad.

The Norfolk case was filed earlier this month on the second anniversary of the tragic East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and subsequent toxic spill where plaintiffs claim multiple lingering health issues, including seven deaths. The lawsuit also levels accusations against the EPA and CDC, alleging that neither organization carried out a proper cleanup, nor warned residents about the potential health risks, elevating fears that their sudden mysterious illnesses could progress into something more serious.

Train derailments are only one of many reasons railroad lawsuits are filed. Everyday commuters can be victims of criminal violence on subways, or be injured due to improperly maintained train cars or railway stations. Plaintiffs will normally file negligence suits against the rail line and even the city itself for failing to keep their passengers safe.

If you are a plaintiff in any type of active railroad injury litigation and need an immediate cash advance lawsuit loan against an impending lawsuit settlement, please visit Legal-Bay HERE or call toll-free at 877.571.0405.

Chris Janish, CEO, commented, "Our funding on FELA cases this year is up over 100%. Legal-Bay is putting a large focus on train accidents in light of recent national headlines. We have always been a leader in FELA cases because of our expertise and our ability to provide ample capital for the long haul on these cases."

In addition to passenger lawsuits, there has also been an increase in FELA funding requests from railway employees within recent months. Legal Bay has even launched a new website specifically built for railroad FELA claims and railroad workers. The lawsuit funding company also secured more capital for railroad workers and employees covered under the FELA Act of 1908, which provides financial relief for railroad employees seeking workers compensation for an injury sustained on the job or in the yard.

If you are (or were) a railroad worker who has filed a lawsuit because of injuries you've suffered due to no fault of your own, or if you were injured due to negligence of your rail company or supervisor, or if you were hurt on the job because of faulty equipment or unsafe working conditions, then you may qualify for legal funding.

If you are a plaintiff or attorney involved in an active FELA railroad injury lawsuit and need an immediate cash advance lawsuit loan against an impending settlement, please visit our specialized FELA website HERE or call toll-free at 877.571.0405.

While railway workers need to take a few extra steps, most everyday victims of railroad injuries can file personal injury lawsuits. Damages in railroad injury cases are in line with other personal injury settlement awards such as reimbursement for lost earnings, medical expenses, and physical as well as mental pain and suffering.

Legal-Bay has been funding train accidents for the last 15 years and focuses much of their attention to certain cities and states: New York, NY; Newark, New Jersey; Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; Nashville, TN; Chicago, IL; and Los Angeles, CA to name a few. 

They are often referred to as one of the best lawsuit loan companies out there and the best lawsuit funding provider for railroad workers, in part because the lawsuit settlement loan company offers the quickest approvals and lowest rates industry wide. Contact Legal-Bay today or visit our specialized FELA website HERE to find out why we are considered the top lawsuit money lender around.

Legal-Bay advocates for victims of railroad injuries, but they provide settlement loan funding for all types of cases including personal injury, dog bites, slip and falls, car accidents, boat accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, truck accidents, and more.

Legal-Bay provides some of the best rates and fastest approvals in the industry, less than 24-48 hours in some cases. They offer free lawsuit evaluation on your settlement amount or case value, along with no out-of-pocket expenses or upfront costs. Their settlement funding loans have helped numerous plaintiffs by providing immediate cash in advance of a lawsuit's anticipated monetary award. The non-recourse law suit loans—sometimes referred to as loans for lawsuit or loans on settlement—are risk-free, as the money doesn't need to be repaid should the recipient lose their case. Therefore, the lawsuit loans aren't really a loan, but rather a cash advance.

To learn more about Legal-Bay's funding for FELA claims, railroad worker, railway passenger personal injury lawsuits, railroad lawsuit loans, rail worker personal injury pre settlement funding, railroad employees personal injury settlement loans, or railroad worker personal injury lawsuit loan funds, please visit the company's website HERE to apply right now or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where friendly and helpful agents are standing by to answer your questions.

BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business, a leading global custodian with USD 13.7 trillion under custody, has partnered with global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) to expand its global custody services, appointing Broadridge as service provider for its global securities class action services.

“As the Securities Services business of BNP Paribas, we are committed to delivering innovative and differentiating products and services to our clients. Broadridge brings advanced technology, market-leading information security and deep industry expertise that align with our goals, enhancing our clients’ experience and supporting their business,” said Christian Houillon, Head of Custody Product for Securities Services at BNP Paribas. “We will be able to harness Broadridge’s proprietary technology to identify, file and recover investment losses, alongside their extensive industry expertise.”

Broadridge provides a comprehensive, proprietary technology solution for global class action services that will help clients identify and act on asset recovery opportunities. This includes a seamless process for identifying, filing, and recovering investment losses, backed by Broadridge's industry expertise.

“As the volume of securities class actions continues to rise, it’s crucial for the clients of BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business and other global financial institutions to leverage all available asset recovery opportunities,” said Steve Cirami, Vice President, Head of Corporate Actions & Class Actions at Broadridge. “Broadridge’s solutions will enable the clients of BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business to obtain all required information to support their decisions on claim recoveries, facilitate investor participation in settlements and support key business functions, delivering a seamless and impactful client experience.”

Investors have more recovery opportunities than ever before as the class action landscape continues to expand globally with more than 35 jurisdictions around the world adopting collective redress mechanisms for shareholders. In 2024 alone, there were more than 125 recovery opportunities and $5.2 billion in settlements. The ability to monitor all opportunities globally requires leading edge technology and expertise, particularly in jurisdictions where considerations of litigation can be complex to navigate.

Broadridge’s dedicated global class action services team comprises deeply knowledgeable and experienced securities litigators, claims administrators, claims auditors and data specialists, equipped to provide clients with unmatched end-to-end services, portfolio monitoring and claims filing and registering processes in global jurisdictions. Learn more about the team here.

About Securities Services at BNP Paribas (securities.cib.bnpparibas)

BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business is a leading global custodian providing multi-asset post-trade and asset servicing solutions to buy-side and sell-side market participants, corporates and issuers. With a global reach covering 90+ markets, its custody network is one of the most extensive in the industry, enabling clients to maximise their investment opportunities worldwide. As a pillar of BNP Paribas’ diversified banking model, Securities Services provides asset servicing solutions that are closely integrated with the first-class services of the Group’s other business lines, in particular those of Global Banking and Global Markets.

As of 31 December 2024, Securities Services had USD 13.7 trillion in assets under custody and USD 2.8 trillion in assets under administration.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR) is a global technology leader with the trusted expertise and transformative technology to help clients and the financial services industry operate, innovate, and grow. We power investing, governance, and communications for our clients – driving operational resiliency, elevating business performance, and transforming investor experiences. 

Our technology and operations platforms process and generate over 7 billion communications per year and underpin the daily trading of more than $10 trillion of securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 14,000 associates in 21 countries.

For more information about us, please visit www.broadridge.com.

The following article was contributed by Kris Altiere, US Head of Marketing for Moneypenny.

The boundaries between professional and personal life have blurred, largely due to technology and the pandemic, which forced firms to be available 24/7. Since COVID, the number of clients and prospects engaging with businesses at all hours has surged, driven by the adoption of tools like live chat—which, at one point, accounted for 37% of interactions outside traditional 9-to-5 hours. In fact, a Moneypenny study conducted with Censuswide, surveying over 2,000 U.S. consumers, found that 58% of respondents now accept work-related communications outside regular hours. But is this shift a good thing?

Law firms should consider the communication training they give across all situations – how many work calls have been taken in the car, texts responded to at a soccer practice, or emails replied to quickly while at the doctor? Adjusting a firm’s contact channels should include recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of different forms of communication, and thinking about what’s best for clients and the team.

For firms, the “always on” employee presents some potential challenges, starting with the impact on the mental health of someone pressured to forever be on alert for a client or new business. It also can present vulnerabilities – Moneypenny’s research revealed 59% of respondents admitted to commonly sending texts and emails to the wrong person. Or, there is the liability of a stretched team responding to a client with a typo or incorrect information, feeling pressured to get right back and not taken time for a measured response. Along with an increased margin of error, digital communication can lack the emotion of a conversation, or may not appeal as a form of connection from a generational perspective.

Moneypenny looked into the popularity of different forms of work communications. Emails were number one at 49%, followed by the phone at 39%, text messaging at 35%, instant messaging such as Teams or Slack at 19%, and video conferencing like Zoom at 18%. Choices were particular to generations – emailing is the preferred choice for 56% of Baby Boomers and 54% of Gen X, while only 28% of Gen Z prefer it. Instant messaging was a more popular form of work communication for Gen Z (25%), but was chosen by only 16% of Gen X and 13% of Baby Boomers.

Moneypenny encourages firms of all sizes to establish clear communication guidelines that best serve all of their constituents – their teams, their prospects, and their clients. After four years of being on call around the clock, teams are tired. If a firm can have the burden of the 2 a.m. call or chat placed in the hands of a capable and trained legal receptionist like Moneypenny’s, they can ensure it’s not just fielded, but fielded well, and their team undisturbed.

Setting healthy business-life boundaries is a lofty goal that firms should consider setting this year – making themselves a little more unavailable to make themself more available. Fielding a call late at night or during a mad rush does a disservice by potentially inhibiting work flow, mental health, quality and integrity of the work. In what seems like an increasingly scattered world, reclaiming focus by letting someone else “get the phone” could just be revolutionary.

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Kris Altiere is US Head of Marketing at Moneypenny. Moneypenny’s unique blend of brilliant people and AI technology integrate seamlessly to deliver customer conversations that unlock valuable opportunities for law firms, 24/7.

Kris is passionate about combining creativity and data-driven approaches to deliver impactful campaigns. A natural leader and mentor, she thrives on empowering teams, fostering collaboration, and ensuring Moneypenny’s solutions help firms stay ahead in an ever-evolving market.