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Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding (ARC) Teams Up with Money Management International (MMI) to Offer Customers Access to Financial Resource Site

The leading trade association for the consumer legal funding industry, Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding (ARC), a nonprofit organization, announces the relaunch ARCFinanciallyFit.com (Financially Fit), a website providing consumers with tools to achieve financial wellness, bolster emergency savings, and better prepare for a rainy day.

ARC teamed up with the nonprofit Money Management International (MMI) to offer an easy-to-digest web platform. ARCFinanciallyFit.com presents the best expert resources to help consumers combat a financial crisis, form healthy spending habits, and prepare for the future. The site also offers free one-on-one budgeting help through partnership with MMI, one of the largest and longest-serving financial counseling agencies in the country.

“Unfortunately, most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and if that income stream gets interrupted, they start to spiral,” said Eric Schuller, President of ARC. “When an emergency is thrust into a consumer’s life, like a car accident or a personal injury, they usually need some help in getting through those difficult times. By providing resources like ARCFinanciallyFit.com, ARC Members can be an ally to consumers on their journey to long-term financial wellness.”

A 2021 survey by PYMTS.com found that up to 70% of millennials live paycheck to paycheck. This further illustrates a significant financial gap many Americans face in the event of an emergency situation, such as an automobile accident or sudden injury. The same study found that even a significant number (39%) of those earning over $100,000 a year are living paycheck to paycheck.

“Consumers reach out to us because they are in a bind financially and they are in need of assistance,” said Charles W. Price, CEO of Capital Now Funding, an ARC Member. “Offering our clients a resource like ARCFinanciallyFit.com enables us to continue helping clients long-term, not just for their short-term financial needs. Financially Fit is an excellent resource and one we hope consumers will utilize to help them regain their financial footing.”

“Our entire mission is to help those in need,” added Reid Zeising, Founder and CEO of Cherokee Funding, another ARC Member. “We are committed to access to care for all, and the ability for plaintiffs to meet short term financial needs while awaiting a fair settlement. When settlement does come, we believe ARCFinanciallyFit.com will provide essential nonprofit guidance and resources to our clients, and we look forward to sharing this important resource with them.”

”Regardless of age or income level, financial emergencies often lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame among impacted individuals,” said Jim Triggs, President and CEO of MMI. “Research has shown that stigma and fear of judgment prevents many consumers from taking action, but confidential and compassionate help is just a click or phone call away. Our experienced, certified, and empathetic counselors welcome ARC Member customers to lean on MMI as they navigate the financial challenges that come with life’s unexpected twists and turns.”

About ARC

The Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding (ARC) is a diverse coalition of consumer legal funding providers, consumers, academics, community activists, policy makers, and other supporters. It was established to preserve legal funding as a choice for the many Americans who have suffered an unexpected economic loss due to an accident and have a pending legal claim. Legal funding can help families pay for immediate personal needs such as rent, mortgages, car repairs, utilities, and groceries while they wait for their claims to settle fairly. ARC promotes practices and regulations that lead to informed decisions between individuals and their attorneys, so that families have more options—not fewer. ARC advocates at the state and federal levels to recommend regulations that preserve consumer choice. ARC member providers handle the majority of all legal funding transactions in the United States.

About MMI

Money Management International (MMI) is changing how America overcomes financial challenges. MMI helps create, restore, and maintain a life of financial wellness through empowered choices. For over 60 years, our clients have achieved financial confidence through nonprofit programs that educate, motivate, and liberate. MMI inspires action by delivering expert professional guidance and timely solutions aligned with our client’s goals. Experiencing a financial challenge? Find your solution 24/7 at 866.980.2227 and MoneyManagement.org.

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Announcements Comercial People Moves

Victory Park Expands Legal Credit Leadership with Maleson Promotion

By John Freund |

Victory Park Capital (VPC), a global alternative asset manager specializing in private credit, has announced that Justin Maleson will expand his role to Managing Director, co-heading the firm’s legal credit investment strategy. The promotion underscores VPC’s ongoing investment in its legal finance capabilities and follows Maleson’s initial appointment in 2024 as Assistant General Counsel.

An announcement from Victory Park Capital details Maleson’s new responsibilities, which include sourcing, analyzing, and managing investments across legal assets, while maintaining oversight of the firm’s legal operations. He joins Chad Clamage in co-leading the strategy, working alongside team members Hugo Lestiboudois and Andrew Pascal, under the continued oversight of VPC CEO and founder Richard Levy.

Maleson brings a strong background in litigation finance and commercial law to the position. Before joining VPC, he served as a director at Longford Capital, where he specialized in originating and managing litigation funding transactions. His earlier tenure as a litigation partner at Jenner & Block further deepened his exposure to complex legal matters, equipping him with the expertise needed to navigate the nuanced legal credit space.

VPC’s legal credit team emphasizes an asset-backed lending model, prioritizing downside protection and predictable income streams. The firm aims to capitalize on inefficiencies within the legal funding market by leveraging its internal expertise and broad network of relationships. With Maleson’s appointment, VPC signals its intent to further scale its legal credit strategy, positioning itself as a key player in the evolving legal finance sector.

Maleson’s elevation comes at a time of increasing sophistication in litigation finance, where experienced legal minds are playing a pivotal role in portfolio construction and risk management. As VPC bolsters its leadership, the move may foreshadow further institutionalization of legal asset investing and heightened competition in a maturing market segment.

Announcements Consumer

Golden Pear Upsizes Corporate Note to $78.7M Amid Growth Plans

By John Freund |

Golden Pear Funding has extended and upsized its investment-grade corporate note to $78.7 million, further bolstering the firm's capacity to serve the expanding litigation finance sector. The New York-based funder, a national leader in both pre-settlement and medical receivables financing, said the proceeds will support working capital and fuel strategic growth initiatives.

A press release from Golden Pear outlines how the capital raise reflects continued investor confidence in the firm’s business model. CEO Gary Amos noted that the infusion is critical as Golden Pear seeks to scale alongside the “rapidly expanding litigation finance market.” CFO Daniel Amsellem added that the new funding aligns with the company’s capital allocation strategy, aimed at optimizing operational efficiency and executing strategic projects.

Brean Capital, LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor and sole placement agent on the transaction.

Founded in 2008, Golden Pear has funded more than $1.1 billion to over 87,000 clients and remains one of the largest specialty finance companies in the U.S. Its business model spans legal case funding and medical receivables purchasing, with backing from a network of private equity partners that provide institutional support for continued expansion.

Announcements Regulatory Issues

LionFish Updates Model Documents in Response to CJC Report

By John Freund |

LionFish Litigation Finance Ltd has released a new suite of model litigation funding documents, updating its original set from February 2021. The revision comes on the heels of the Civil Justice Council's (CJC) Final Report on Litigation Funding, issued on 2 June 2025, which calls for a regulatory structure informed by best practices, including key principles published by the European Law Institute (ELI) in October 2024.

A LionFish press release details that the updated suite incorporates several of the ELI Principles (notably 4-12) and broader CJC recommendations, except where doing so would require legislative or procedural reform. LionFish's goal, according to Managing Director Tets Ishikawa, is not to dictate market norms but to foster industry-wide standardisation and efficiency. This proactive move is also intended to spark further collaboration between funders, insurers, and legal practitioners to develop trade practices akin to those in mature financial markets, such as those promoted by the Loan Market Association and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

The new suite includes three core documents: a litigation funding agreement, a priorities deed to define proceeds distribution, and an assignment deed for insurance benefits. Notably, LionFish has also added documentation for co-investment arrangements, reflecting a growing trend in syndicated funding deals. The funder has already closed seven such transactions.

Managing Director Tanya Lansky emphasised that while litigation funding remains complex, making documentation public enhances transparency and facilitates quicker deal closings—an essential factor for sustaining market growth.

As litigation finance continues to mature, this move by LionFish highlights a shift toward professionalisation and standardisation. With regulators increasingly focused on transparency and fairness, such initiatives may set a de facto benchmark for others in the industry. The question remains: will other funders follow suit, or will regulatory mandates be needed to compel alignment?