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ANGLO AMERICAN SUED ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN POISONED BY THE WORLD’S BIGGEST TOXIC LEAD MINE

ANGLO AMERICAN SUED ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN POISONED BY THE WORLD’S BIGGEST TOXIC LEAD MINE

Lawyers from Mbuyisa Moleele and Leigh Day today announced that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Anglo American South Africa Limited (“AASA”), a subsidiary of London-headquartered multinational mining company Anglo American Plc (LSE: AAL, JSE: AGL), in the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa. The action has been filed on behalf of a class estimated to comprise more than100,000 individuals in the Kabwe District of Zambia who are believed to have been poisoned by lead. The application is brought by 13 representative plaintiffs on behalf of children under 18, and girlsand women who have been or may become pregnant in the future. The claimants – principally young children – are suffering from alarming levels of lead poisoning which, depending on various factors including the blood lead level (“BLL”), causes a range of significant conditions, from psychological, intellectual and behavioural damage to serious and permanent physical damage to their bodily organs, neurological systems and fertility. In extreme cases, serious brain damage and deaths occur. In pregnant women, lead they ingested as children is absorbed into their bones and released during pregnancy. Women are also exposed to lead during pregnancy from the surrounding environment. Lead is known to cross the placenta, resulting in the unborn child being subjected to the same concentration of lead as the mother. Notonly can the baby’s health be damaged, lead causes pregnant women to have a higher risk of pre-eclampsia; gestational hypertension and miscarriage. Generations of children have been poisoned by the operations of the Kabwe mine, originally known as Broken Hill, which caused widespread contamination of the soil, dust, water, and vegetation. The main sources of this poisonous lead were from the smelter, ore processing and tailings dumps. The BLLs of the vast majority of children in Kabwe exceed the BLL limit of 5 micrograms per decilitre set by the U.S. Center forDisease Control. A substantial proportion of the children have BLLs in excess of 45 ug/dl, the limit at which medical treatment is required. There are numerous cases of young children (including among the representative plaintiffs) with BLLs in excess of 100 ug/dl, at which serious brain damage and death may occur. The Kabwe mine was part of AASA group from 1925 until 1974 and was one of the world’s most productive lead mines during this time. It is alleged in the class action that AASA is liable, including for the following, because of AASA’s role in controlling, managing, supervising and advising on the technical, medical and safety aspects of the mine’s operations:
  1. a) Substantial emissions of lead into the local environment were due to deficiencies in the design and systems of operation and control of lead, which AASA failed to ensure were rectified;
  2. b) AASA failed to ensure the clean-up of the communities’ contaminated land; and
  3. c) Accordingtoexperts1, aroundtwothirds of the leadcurrently inthe local environment is likely to have been deposited there between 1925 and 1974 when the mining operation was transferred to ZCCM, a Zambian state-owned company, in 1974.
The class action seeks to pursue remedies in the form of compensation for these children, as well as girls and women with lead poisoning who have or may become pregnant in the future. Also sought is (a) blood lead screening for children and pregnant women in Kabwe, and (b) clean up and remediation of the area to ensure the health of future generations of children and pregnant women is not jeopardised. Richard Meeran, Partner & Head of the International Department at Leigh Day, said:From the 1950s, Anglo American publicly committed to making a lasting contribution to communities in which it operated. Its current human rights policy is to contribute to remediation when its business has contributed to adverse human rights impacts. This ongoing public health disaster is the result of a flagrant disregard for the health of the local community, which is totally at odds with those grand public pronouncements.” Zanele Mbuyisa, Partner at Mbuyisa Moleele, added: AASA is considered amining giant that has been instrumental inbuilding theeconomies ofvarious countries, but it also has to be acknowledged that their operations have caused the decimation of communities and long-lasting damage to the health of those communities.” Mbuyisa Moleele is a Johannesburg-based law firm led by Zanele Mbuyisa, and Leigh Day is a leading international law firm specialising in human rights and mass environmental tort claims. Both firms have a proven track record of litigating complex international class actions on behalf of victims from disadvantaged backgrounds. The case is being funded by Augusta Ventures, the UK’s largest litigation fund by volume of claims. More information about this matter can be found at www.childrenofkabwe.com.

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Nera Capital Secures £50M Asset Mandate

By John Freund |

Nera Capital has strengthened its litigation finance platform with the onboarding of a new South America-based funding partner committing £50 million across litigation finance and legal assets. The mandate not only expands Nera’s available capital base but also sees the firm formally appointed as asset manager for the new funds, reinforcing its growing role as both originator and portfolio steward within the UK litigation market.

In a press release, Nera Capital announced that the £50 million commitment will be deployed across a range of UK-based claims, with the firm responsible for underwriting, structuring, capital deployment, and ongoing portfolio management. The capital will be allocated in line with Nera’s established investment criteria and risk management framework, targeting carefully selected legal assets. The funding partner, described as having an “extensive track record” in high-yielding special situations investments uncorrelated to traditional asset classes, brings prior experience in litigation finance across South America.

Robin Grant, CFO at Nera Capital, emphasized that the partnership aligns with the firm’s disciplined approach to litigation finance and enhances its ability to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns to investors. Aisling Byrne, Director at Nera Capital, highlighted the funder’s blend of financial and legal expertise, noting that the asset manager appointment reflects international confidence in Nera’s ability to identify viable claims and manage them through to resolution.

Established in 2011 and headquartered in Dublin, with offices in Manchester and Holland, Nera Capital provides law firm lending across consumer and commercial claim portfolios and is a member of the European Litigation Funders Association.

Longford Capital Doubles Down to Support American Innovation

By John Freund |

Longford Capital Management, LP today announced that it has launched the Longford Capital American Innovation Initiative to help American inventors protect their legal rights, access the U.S. legal system, and advance American innovation.

America is the greatest country in the world and Americans are achieving advancements in every facet of our lives, including healthcare, artificial intelligence, clean energy, technology, aerospace, cybersecurity, transportation, wireless communications, and many others. Intellectual property is critical to American exceptionalism and national security. American inventors are systematically the victims of intellectual property theft at the hands of foreign and domestic bad actors. Well-financed multi-national corporations steal the innovations of small and medium size American companies leaving them will little options to protect their legal rights in the expensive U.S. legal system. For more than a decade, Longford has been supporting American inventors, investing approximately $500 million to support nearly 100 intellectual property owners trying to defend their assets. These efforts have resulted in recoveries of more than $1.5 billion from patent infringers.

Take, for example, Malcolm Beyer, Jr., a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, retired Captain in the U.S. Marines, and small business owner. His company developed a communication system that increases safety and operational effectiveness for the U.S. military, law enforcement, and first responders. When his patented technology was infringed by foreign companies, he didn’t have the money to defend his legal rights in court. He turned to Longford Capital. Longford provided millions of dollars to pay his legal fees, which allowed Mr. Beyer to successfully defend his legal rights and protect his innovation. Without access to litigation finance, Malcolm Beyer’s company would not have survived.

Today, we are ramping up our efforts to support our country, American inventors, small and medium size businesses, and the advancement of American exceptionalism. The ability to protect innovation through the patent system and the U.S. legal system is essential to attract investment and encourage the best and brightest Americans to dedicate their careers to improving our lives. Longford’s funding empowers American innovation and makes America stronger. Members of Longford’s legal team are perennially recognized as leading IP strategists with an established record of developing and implementing world-class IP value creation programs for American companies.

About Longford Capital

Longford Capital is a leading private investment company that provides capital to leading law firms, public and private companies, research universities, government agencies, and other entities involved in large-scale, commercial legal disputes. Longford was one of the first litigation funds in the United States and is among the world’s largest litigation finance companies with more than $1.2 billion in assets under management. Typically, Longford funds attorneys’ fees and other costs necessary to pursue meritorious legal claims in return for a share of a favorable settlement or award. The firm manages a diversified portfolio, and considers investments in subject matter areas where it has developed considerable expertise, including, business-to-business contract claims, antitrust and trade regulation claims, intellectual property claims (including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret), fiduciary duty claims, fraud claims, claims in bankruptcy and liquidation, domestic and international arbitrations, claim monetization, insurance matters, and a variety of others.

Legal-Bay Expands Pre-Settlement Funding Services

By John Freund |

Legal-Bay announced an expansion of its legal funding services, aiming to offer clients more flexible options for pre-settlement funding. The move reflects rising demand from plaintiffs who need interim cash while cases progress and highlights the competitive dynamics in consumer legal funding.

According to the company, the initiative is intended to broaden availability of non-recourse advances and to streamline decisioning so applicants can access funds more predictably during litigation. Although the funder did not disclose detailed terms, the emphasis on flexibility suggests adjustments to how advances are sized and timed relative to case milestones, as well as potential enhancements to intake and support. For claimants, the changes could translate into more tailored funding paths during a period of financial strain.

A press release in PR Newswire states that Legal-Bay is expanding its legal funding services to provide clients with more flexible options for pre-settlement funding, signaling a renewed focus on access and responsiveness. The release characterizes the update as a client-centric step and reiterates the company’s commitment to supporting plaintiffs seeking bridge financing while their matters are pending. It does not enumerate product features, timelines or pricing, but it frames the initiative as an effort to meet a wider range of circumstances and case timelines.

For the litigation finance industry, expansions like this reinforce steady demand among cash-constrained plaintiffs and continued product iteration by consumer funders. If flexibility becomes a wider theme, expect tighter competition on approval speed, disclosures and service quality, alongside ongoing attention to compliance in states evaluating consumer legal funding rules.