LITFINCON’s inaugural conference kicked off last week at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston, Texas, with attendees flying in from all over the globe. Guests had a front-row seat to several thought-provoking conversations about the growing asset class from a variety of industry experts.
The LITFINCON event featured a variety of timely and insightful panel discussions. Below are some key takeaways from the two-day conference:
Day 1 highlighted current trends, the state of the industry, best strategies when seeking litigation finance, and the relationship between corporate legal departments and litigation finance.
The day kicked off with the “Views From The Judiciary On All Things Litigation Finance” panel, which was certainly a crowd favorite. Three distinguished judges shared their insights: The Honorable Charles R. Eskridge, III, of the United States District Court for the Southern District Court of Texas, The Honorable Andrew M. Edison, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and The Honorable Lauren Reeder of the 234th Judicial District, Harris County. They offered their unique views, as only active judges can, on a variety of issues affecting litigators, funders, and plaintiffs.Day 2 highlighted what investors should know about this asset class, when and how to use a broker when looking for funding, technology trends in the legal field, and expert insights on fund formation. Day 2's lunch break was something special, as it featured Chief Comedic Officer of Making Lawyers Laugh, LLC Sheng Weng, who most recently was seen touring with Ali Wong and was a featured stand-up on HBO’s “2 Dope Queens” special. Sheng also wrote for the ABC show “Fresh Off the Boat.” He kept guests entertained and roaring with laughter - a unique addition to the conference agenda.
Guests enjoyed rare in-person networking opportunities, and the opportunity to establish new business relationships. The attendee list included industry-leading firms, such as: Omni Bridgeway, Yieldstreet, Liti Capital, Law Finance Group, Polsinelli, Schulte Roth & Zabel, CAC Speciality, Parker Poe, 4 Rivers Legal, Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Roche Freedman, Women of Litigation Finance (WOLF), Global Litigation Consultants, D. E. Shaw & Co., Arran Capital, Law Office of Philip A. Reale, Dunning Rievman, and Kerberos Capital Management.
Overall, attendees were delighted by how the event turned out. We received some sparkling reviews, a smattering of which is offered for you here:
“LITFINCON was a very positive experience. The range of speakers and panelists was impressive and a great deal of ground relating to the current trends in the industry was covered. The attendees were a good representation of the main industry players, namely funders, attorneys and advisors/brokers. Texas is still a relatively nascent third-party funding market and there are without doubt some exciting opportunities there, particularly in the energy and IP sectors. Siltstone did a great job in setting this up and I am already looking forward to the 2023 renewal!”
“It was a pleasure to discuss how corporate legal departments can utilize litigation funding at the inaugural LITFINCON. The diversity of viewpoints and experiences of my distinguished co-panelists really contributed to a candid, free-flowing discussion of what more can be done to acclimate corporate legal departments to the exciting possibilities offered by litigation finance.”
"The litigation finance industry is growing rapidly, which makes networking at events like LITFINCON both important and exciting. We are building something together. It is particularly important that we share best practices and that we find ways to communicate those to stakeholders who may not be knowledgeable about them, such as litigation clients and members of the judiciary. LITFINCON did a great job of convening a diverse group and sharing that information.
I particularly enjoyed the “Crypto” panel, “How Will Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, And Other Technological Innovations Impact Litigation and the Legal Field.” It is nice to attend a conference that offers new information and perspectives."
“Our entire Siltstone Capital team was humbled to host industry leaders at our inaugural LITFINCON. LITFINCON attracted a global array of speakers and attendees to help promote best practices for the growing and still malleable field of legal private credit. Hosting the conference in Houston, Texas also helped advance the legal private credit field to one of the biggest legal markets in the country. We can’t wait to host LITFINCON II in March 2023.”
“The inaugural LITFINCON was a tremendous success. It received rave reviews. I want to thank all the sponsors, panelists, and attendees, who came in from all over the world – London, Geneva, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Austin. LITFINCON highlighted the growing field of litigation finance and the importance of Texas as a hub that unites all participants in the legal field. Siltstone Capital is excited about continuing the momentum and advancing the litigation finance field by hosting LITFINCON II in March 2023. We expect the event to be two to three times bigger!”
Litigation Capital Management Limited (AIM:LIT), a leading international alternative asset manager of disputes financing solutions, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the half year ended 31 December 2021, delivering a significant improvement on the prior year.
Operations
· | US$150m Global Alternative Returns Fund (“GAR”), now fully committed and achieved within the two year mandated commitment period |
· | Completed US$200m first close of second Fund - Global Alternative Returns Fund II (“Fund II”) with targeted close of US$300m well progressed and expected to complete during FYH2 |
· | Resolution of previously announced direct investment delivered strong returns with a ROIC of 261% and IRR of 199%1 |
· | Portfolio of direct investments well progressed with three investments resolved and awaiting payment or resolution of appeals, four direct investments had final hearings and are awaiting judgment and four direct investments have or expect hearing dates scheduled before end of 2022 |
KPIs
Total assets under management increased to A$343m at 31 December 2021 and A$386m by 8 March 2022 | |
196 applications received during the period vs 266 in H121. A further 89 applications received in the two month period to 28 February 2022, demonstrates an acceleration in momentum and return to normal operating conditions | |
Investment commitments of A$25m during the period, down on the prior period commitment of A$67m which was skewed by a large construction portfolio investment which was consequently scaled down due to a sale and change in ownership of the funded party | |
Total invested capital during the period was A$31.5m vs A$39.7m in H121 | |
Improved performance - cumulative 162% ROIC and IRR of 79% over the past 10 and a half years (inclusive of third party unless otherwise stated) |
Financials
Gross profit of A$13.9m (H121: A$5.4m) | |
Adjusted profit before tax A$7.5m (H121: A$0.2m loss) | |
Statutory profit before tax of A$4.0m (H121: A$1.4m loss) | |
Cash of A$43.5m at 31 December 2021 (A$30.3m exclusive of third party interests) | |
Cash receipts from the completion of litigation investments of A$20.6m, up 94% on the prior year* | |
Total equity of A$94.3m* | |
*exclusive of third party fund consolidation |
Post period events and outlook
· | Mary Gangemi, CFO, appointed to the Board bringing extensive and valuable experience |
· | LCM continues to build out the platform and extend both its own balance sheet commitments and fund management business. |
metrics based on final AUD cashflows
Commenting on the results, Patrick Moloney, CEO of Litigation Capital Management, said: “We have achieved great progress during the period despite disruption as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and unprecedented restrictions in the areas we operate.
“I am pleased with the progress in our Fund Management business, which is now well established, with our first US$150m Fund now fully committed and the US$200m first close of Fund II with a final close target of US$300m by the period end. Equally, our portfolio of direct investments has performed well given the difficult external circumstances impacting our industry, with a number of ongoing investments resolved and awaiting payment, or awaiting judgment in the second half.
“As conditions normalise and with the core executive team now in place in our London office, LCM is now in a stronger position to grow both divisions, enabling us to access greater amounts of capital and facilitate the expansion of our portfolio of investments. The countercyclical nature of our industry suggests that economic and market conditions at present, represent a growing opportunity for the Company which will be realised over the long-term. We look to the second half and beyond with optimism and confidence.”
An overview of the interim results from Patrick Moloney, CEO is available to view on this link: https://bit.ly/LIT_H122_overview_video.
The accompanying results presentation is available on LCM's website:
https://www.lcmfinance.com/shareholders/investor-presentations-results/
The Interim Financial Report is available at:
https://www.lcmfinance.com/shareholders/annual-reports-financial-reports/