BALANCE LEGAL CAPITAL COMPLETES FIRST CLOSE AT GBP130M IN NEW LITIGATION FUND

BALANCE LEGAL CAPITAL COMPLETES FIRST CLOSE AT GBP130M IN NEW LITIGATION FUND

BALANCE LEGAL CAPITAL LLP, a London-based provider of litigation and arbitration finance, today announced it has raised a further GBP 130M from 8 institutional investors in the first close for a new UK fund, bringing Balance’s total AUM to over GBP 250M. Balance is targeting Q2 2022 for a second and final close.

The investors in the new fund include repeat investors from Balance’s prior vehicles plus further global institutional investors located across the UK, US, Switzerland, the Nordics, and Australia. In addition to its discretionary capital pools, Balance has direct access to significant further co-investment capital from its investors, enabling it to fund the largest litigation budgets.

As ever, Balance has delegated authority over its litigation investment decisions.  Balance will use the new funds to continue to invest in commercial disputes and class actions with a focus on disputes in common law jurisdictions (ex. USA), particularly the UK and Australia.  Balance invests across all sectors and commercial claim types including contract, tort, shareholder disputes, joint venture disputes, competition, class actions and more.

Robert Rothkopf, Managing Partner of Balance Legal Capital, said “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new fund, which will further enhance our ability to support claimants and law firms in litigation proceedings.  This is the second multi-investor fund we have launched in two years and demonstrates the strong demand for our capital.  We’re grateful to our investors for continuing to back us in our new fund, to our high-calibre team at Balance, and to the law firms, barristers and insolvency practitioners we partner with to obtain justice for businesses and individuals.” 

Balance Legal Capital LLP was advised on the establishment of its new fund by Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, London.

About Balance Legal Capital

Balance Legal Capital was founded in 2015 by Robert Rothkopf (former Herbert Smith Freehills litigator) and Simon Burnett (a former Freshfields litigator).  Its investment committee includes Lord David Gold (former global senior partner of Herbert Smith and head of disputes) and Ian Terry (former managing partner of Freshfields and global head of disputes).  Fraser Shepherd (former litigation partner at Gilbert + Tobin, Sydney), Donny Surtani (former litigation partner at Herbert Smith Freehills) and Nick Gardner (former head of Intellectual Property Litigation at Herbert Smith) are senior advisers to the investment committee.

Example cases funded by Balance include (1) the audit negligence claim by the Patisserie Valerie Group (in liquidation) against Grant Thornton UK LLP (solicitors – Mishcon de Reya LLP); and (2) group proceedings for vehicle owner clients of Leigh Day in the emissions claims against BMW, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen for selling diesel vehicles allegedly containing unlawful emissions defeat devices.

Balance Legal Capital LLP is a member of the Association of Litigation Funders of England and Wales (ALF) where Robert Rothkopf is a board member.  Balance Legal Capital LLP is also a founder member of the Association of Litigation Funders of Australia (ALFA) where Simon Burnett is a board member.  Balance Legal Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority and by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

https://www.balancelegalcapital.com

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New North Litigation Capital Launches, Backed by £50 Million in Senior Secured Financing from Pollen Street Capital

By John Freund |

Pollen Street Capital ("Pollen Street") today announces a new senior secured credit facility of up to £50 million to New North Litigation Capital (“New North”). New North is a commercial litigation finance company and a direct subsidiary of Capital Law, a Cardiff based law firm founded in 2006.

Capital Law has a strong track record in commercial litigation, having closed over 400 claimant cases since 2001 with a 95% win rate. Drawing on its senior leadership and experienced disputes team, Capital Law launched New North to address the underserved small to mid-market segment of commercial litigation market. 

New North will be the only litigation financier in the UK owned and operated by practicing lawyers, bringing their day to day lived experience of handling mid-market litigation into pricing the risk and the funding investment decisions.

Christopher Nott, Founder and CEO of New North commented: “We are pleased to work with Pollen Street on this financing to launch New North Litigation Capital. The funding supports us to bridge a critical gap by funding claims that are often deemed too small by other players in the market. We are excited to work with the Pollen Street team as we create this new kind of litigation funding.”

Connor Marshall-Mckie, Investment Director at Pollen Street, commented:New North addresses an important gap in the litigation funding space, focusing on smaller mid-market commercial litigation. With the significant opportunity available and the deep experience of the leadership team from Capital Law we are excited to partner with the team to support their growth.”

About Pollen Street

Pollen Street is a fast-growing and high-performing private capital asset manager. Established in 2013, the firm has built deep capability across the real estate, financial and business services sectors aligned with mega-trends shaping the future of the industry. Pollen Street manages over €7bn AUM across private equity and credit strategies on behalf of investors including leading public and corporate pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, asset managers, banks, and family offices from around the world. Pollen Street has a team of over 95 professionals.

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.

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.