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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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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.

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.