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Announcements Commercial

Brown Rudnick Launches Litigation Funding Working Group

November 3, 2020

Brown Rudnick Launches Litigation Funding Working Group

International law firm Brown Rudnick announced today the launch of the Litigation Funding Working Group (LFWG), which brings together leading litigation funders, insurers, institutional claimants, legal advisors and other participants across the litigation funding market in the UK and Europe to develop model documentation to help support the continued growth and development of the litigation funding market. Led by Elena S. Rey, a partner at Brown Rudnick’s Special Situations team, this initiative comes at a time of rising demand for litigation funding products in an evolving regulatory environment. The model documentation will be freely available and will provide the following benefits across the litigation funding market:
  • Promote efficient markets: Improve speed of execution and streamline the negotiation process.
  • Develop secondary market: Provide a platform for the development of secondary market transactions by way of novation, participation, assignment or other risk transfer arrangement.
  • Market integrity: Improve protections for market participants and provide a bench mark for the judiciary by incorporating best market practice, regulatory standards (including data protection) and judicial practice and adopting a balanced approach between stakeholders.
  • Simplicity and Flexibility: Follow the model of other major financial markets by standardising structure and key clauses in a model document while leaving market participants free to incorporate their own commercial and other terms.
  • Reduce Risk: Promote the adoption of high standards across the industry and reduce exposure to reputational risk and disputes from poorly constructed contracts.
The initiative will build on the firm’s experience of working with major litigation funders on preparing their model funding documentation for the US market as well as working with the Loan Market Association (LMA) over the last 10 years in preparing model documentation for the real estate finance market and secondary trading documentation. The model documentation will be produced after extensive consultation with the members of the Working Group and the wider market and will represent an agreed common wording and structure, so that users and providers of litigation funding can rely on standardised boiler plate provisions and focus their negotiations on the commercial elements and other specific considerations. The documentation will be subject to regular review by the LFWG to ensure that it reflects current regulations in relevant jurisdictions and continues to accommodate the requirements of the respective parties. Elena S. Rey, Partner at Brown Rudnick said: “I would like to thank all of the members for their commitment and enthusiasm towards this important initiative, which will support the development of the litigation funding market and the institutionalisation of the industry by introducing best-in-class documentation. I look forward to collaborating with our members and to making these model documents available to all, which will help ensure that the market continues to operate efficiently and with the highest standards in place.” The LFWG consists of major funders and institutional claimants – including Affiniti Finance Limited, Arrowhead Capital, Augusta Ventures, BDO Global, Bench Walk Advisors, Deminor Recovery Services, Galion Capital, Grant Thornton UK LLP, King Street, LionFish Litigation Finance, Litigation Capital Management Limited, North Wall Capital, Omni Bridgeway, Therium Capital Management – insurers and brokers – including AmTrust Financial, Litica Ltd., Marsh Ltd., QLCC, and others as well as leading legal & expert advisers and barrister chambers. About Brown Rudnick LLP Brown Rudnick combines ingenuity with experience to achieve great outcomes for our clients. It delivers partner-driven services and excellence across its practice areas, which include special situations, finance & litigation funding, distressed debt, corporate restructuring, M&A, tech & life science investments, white collar defence, IP & international disputes. It has offices in key financial centers in the US and Europe and serves its clients in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. Elena S. Rey  Elena represents funders, private equity funds, major corporations and family offices on complex litigation funding as well as leverage finance matters. As a member of the Special Situations team, Elena provides a range of services from helping clients to raise finance for litigation, corporate or tech projects to introducing investors and connecting sources of capital to off-market investment opportunities. Elena holds a law degree from Harvard University, and is fluent in Russian and French. She is admitted to practice in England & Wales, and is also a member of the New York bar.

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Announcements Commercial

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.

Announcements Consumer

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.

Announcements Commercial People Moves

Pogust Goodhead Appoints Gemma Anderson as Partner, Strengthening Mariana Leadership Team 

By John Freund |

Pogust Goodhead today announces the appointment of Gemma Anderson as partner, a standout addition that reflects the firm’s continued growth and investment in senior talent as the Mariana case advances through the High Court in London. 

Gemma will work on the Mariana litigation alongside Jonathan Wheeler, who leads the case for the firm. Her appointment reunites the pair after fourteen years working together at Morrison & Foerster, where they collaborated on numerous high-stakes disputes. 

Gemma is a highly experienced commercial litigator specialising in complex cross-border disputes. She joins PG from Quinn Emanuel’s London office, where she has spent the last two years as a partner focused on significant, high value commercial cases.  

Alicia Alinia, CEO at Pogust Goodhead, said: “Gemma’s appointment is a fantastic moment for Pogust Goodhead. Her arrival is a clear signal of the team and platform we are building for the future - deep expertise, strong leadership, and the capacity to run major international cases at scale. We’re delighted to welcome her as a partner”. 

Jonathan Wheeler, partner and lead for the Mariana litigation, said: “Gemma is an exceptional disputes lawyer and a natural fit for the Mariana team. We worked closely for fourteen years at Morrison & Foerster, and I’ve seen first-hand the rigour and relentless drive she brings to complex cross-border matters. Her appointment strengthens our ability to deliver for clients as we build on the milestone liability decision and move into the next phase of the case.” 

Gemma Anderson said:  “I’m thrilled to be joining Pogust Goodhead at such a pivotal moment for the Mariana litigation. This is a truly landmark case - not only for the communities affected, but for what it represents globally on access to justice and corporate accountability. I’m looking forward to working with Jonathan and the wider team to help secure a fair outcome for hundreds of thousands of victims.” 

The Mariana proceedings in England involve over 600,000 Brazilian individuals, businesses, municipalities, religious institutions and Indigenous communities affected by the 2015 Fundão dam collapse in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Following the English court’s decision on liability on 14 November 2025, the case is now in its second stage, focused on damages and the quantification of losses.