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Apex Litigation Finance appoint Chris Thenabadu and Stephen Caldecott

June 21, 2023

Apex Litigation Finance appoint Chris Thenabadu and Stephen Caldecott

Litigation funding specialists Apex Litigation Finance have announced the appointment of two new Legal team members: Chris Thenabadu joining as Senior Case Underwriter, and Stephen Caldecott joining as a Case Underwriter. Chris and Stephen joined the Apex team this month. Chris brings many years of experience in the after-the-event insurance and litigation funding markets and will lead the team focused on reviewing new cases and the management of existing risks. Stephen has an insolvency litigation background and will further strengthen Apex’s ability to support the litigation funding needs of the insolvency sector.

Chris Thenabadu

Since 2007, Chris has dedicated his professional career to becoming an expert underwriter in ATE insurance. After qualifying as a solicitor and gaining experience in litigation funding and brokerage for ATE and M&A markets, he was appointed to high-level positions within two of the most prominent ATE insurers. This has allowed Chris to create strong relationships with many UK-based brokers, barristers, and law firms. Chris Thenabadu says: “I specialise in various commercial litigation cases and am known as one of the most competent underwriters in the UK for insolvency and professional negligence cases. I pride myself on being able to apply my considerable market experience to take a pragmatic and commercial approach to the structure of litigation finance risks. I look forward to leading the team at Apex Litigation Finance.”

Stephen Caldecott

Stephen has worked within the insolvency profession since 2000; as an experienced insolvency investigator, Stephen is trained in identifying, assessing, and pursuing potential legal claims in all forms of formal insolvency cases. Stephen’s experience in insolvency litigation is a significant asset to Apex, as it furthers its ability to meet the litigation funding needs of the insolvency market. Stephen Caldecott says: “I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas of insolvency litigation and will aid Apex in delivering excellent litigation funding solutions to the insolvency sector. My litigation experience, coupled with the gut instinct of a born investigator, will help me to understand and support the needs of Apex clients. I am looking forward to working with the team at Apex”. Apex CEO Maurice Power says: “It’s a pleasure to have Chris and Stephen joining our team. Both their experience and expertise are perfect for their roles, and we know that they will add huge value to our business and our clients. With Apex’s focus of providing litigation funding solutions to small/mid-size commercial claims, the addition of Chris and Stephen will further enhance Apex’s ability to provide access to justice to many more meritorious claimants.” Head of Legal, Stephen Allinson added “I am delighted to welcome Chris and Stephen to our business and very much look forward to working with them. The litigation funding market is developing apace, and I really believe Apex is in an excellent position to build on its already well-established reputation. With Chris and Stephen, we shall be able to respond even more quickly to all enquiries and work very positively with all professional sectors.” Apex is constantly looking to expand its team and is open to hearing from candidates with diverse expertise, from legal to insolvency, litigation funding, AI development, and business development. Having previous experience with litigation funding is optional, as Apex will evaluate an individual’s skillset to see if they can benefit. Interested applicants are asked to contact Apex via enquiries@apexlitigationfinance.com by sending a current cv and details of why they would be ideal for Apex.
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Announcements Commercial

Burford’s Q2 Profits Surge on New Capital

By John Freund |

Burford Capital has delivered its strongest quarterly performance in two years, buoyed by a swelling pipeline of high-value disputes and a fresh infusion of investor cash.

A press release in PR Newswire reveals that the New York- and London-listed funder more than doubled revenue and profitability in the three months to 30 June 2025. CEO Christopher Bogart credited “very substantial levels of new business” for the uptick, noting that demand for non-recourse financing remains “as strong as we’ve ever seen.”

The stellar quarter follows a lightning-quick, two-day debt offering in July that raised $500 million—capital Burford says will be deployed across a growing roster of commercial litigations, international arbitrations, and asset-recovery campaigns. Management also highlighted significant progress in portfolio rotations, underscoring the firm’s ability to monetise older positions while writing new ones at scale. Investors will get a deeper dive when Burford hosts its earnings call today at 9 a.m. EDT.

Burford’s results arrive amid heightened regulatory chatter in Washington and Westminster, yet the numbers suggest the industry’s largest player is unfazed—for now—by talk of disclosure mandates and tax levies. The firm emphasised that its legal-finance, risk-management and asset-recovery businesses remain uncorrelated to broader markets, a pitch that continues to resonate with pension funds and endowments hunting for alternative yield.

For litigation-finance insiders, Burford’s capital-raising prowess and improving margins could have ripple effects: rival funders may face stiffer competition for marquee cases, while law-firm partners might leverage the firm’s deeper pockets to negotiate richer portfolio deals.

Announcements Commercial

International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) Announces End of Year Gala and Inaugural Legal Finance Awards

By John Freund |

 The International Legal Finance Association is pleased to announce its annual End-of-Year Gala Dinner on November 13, 2025.  The event will take place at The Law Society in London, bringing together leading figures from across the legal finance industry for an evening of celebration and reflection on the year’s achievements.  

The dinner will be accompanied by the inaugural Legal Finance Awards.  The awards are designed to recognize and honor excellence across the legal finance ecosystem. They will spotlight the achievements of funders, law firms, brokers, advisors, and other key contributors to the continued growth and innovation of the industry. Nominations for the awards are now open, with the nomination form available here. 

“The Gala Dinner is a chance for our members and guests to gather in person and celebrate the progress we've made over the year,” said Rupert Cunningham, Global Director of Growth and Membership Engagement at ILFA. “We are especially excited to launch the Legal Finance Awards, which will shine a light on the outstanding work and impact of professionals across our field.”

Tickets for the Gala are on sale now, with discounted pricing available for ILFA members.  More information can be found here.

Announcements Commercial Legal Innovation

Sentry Expands Free Funding Market Search for Litigators

By John Freund |

Sentry Funding’s free tool enabling litigators to instantly search the funding market on behalf of clients has been expanded.

Sentry’s free ‘decision in principle’ feature enables lawyers to evidence to clients that they have conducted a broad market search, even if funding is not ultimately taken out.

Having deployed £125m in funding across a range of case types, Sentry now has access to an even broader funding marketplace, covering 34 global jurisdictions. Finance is provided by 13 funders, five of which are members of the Association of Litigation Funders.

With the recent addition of Sentry’s first US-based funder, the US offering will now be expanding over the next few months. 

A faster process

Sentry has deployed the latest technology to make the search for funding even easier. 

  • The intuitive application process now only asks questions relevant to previous answers, saving lawyers time.
  • The commercial marketplace has been redeveloped with 63 new data points added to the funder criteria matrix - improving the accuracy of case / funder matching
  • Sentry has also begun building out its AI capabilities, starting with an automated auditing tool for live case progression audits. 

Tom Webster, chief executive officer at Sentry Funding, said:

‘By broadening our reach and speeding up the process, we’re making it even easier for lawyers to raise funding. We’re also giving litigators an easy way to show clients they have fully researched the market, rather than just approaching one or two funders. 

‘The service is free to use, so even if clients decide they do not ultimately want funding or if none is available for that case, for the lawyer, it makes sense to use our “decision in principle” feature, so they can put evidence on file that they did check the market.’

Sentry Funding is an SaaS (software as a service) technology provider that gives solicitors access to a diverse marketplace of litigation funders. It works with solicitors, funders and third-party providers to ensure claimants are getting the most efficient service for their funding needs. 

The Sentry Portal also acts as a case management system that runs a transparent digital case file for solicitors, funders, after-the-event insurance providers, barristers, cost lawyers and other relevant third parties.