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Announcements Commercial

Burford Capital Earmarks Further $150 Million for The Equity Project to Advance Diversity in Commercial Dispute Leadership

By Harry Moran |

Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, is doubling down on its commitment to addressing the lack of diversity in the leadership of commercial litigation and arbitration. In announcing the third phase of its award-winning Equity Project, Burford is earmarking an additional $150 million to fund commercial matters with a female or racially diverse lawyer in a leadership role, bringing its cumulative funds earmarked for this initiative to more than $300 million.

  • Given its leadership in funding global commercial litigation and arbitration, Burford has a front row seat to the continued lack of diverse lawyers in leadership roles and saw a need to address this gap.
  • Burford first launched The Equity Project in 2018 with $50 million earmarked to financing cases led by female lawyers.
  • In 2021, Burford launched phase two of The Equity Project, earmarking a further $100 million and extending the initiative to also finance racially diverse lawyers; further, it added a promise to contribute a share of proceeds from successfully resolved matters to organizations that promote diversity in the business of law.
  • With cumulative Equity Project commitments of almost $170 million, Burford is launching phase three with an additional $150 million earmarked.
  • As in phase two, if phase three Equity Project-funded matters resolve successfully and generate expected returns, Burford will contribute on its client’s behalf a portion of its profits to organizations that promote lawyer development for female and racially diverse lawyers.

Aviva Will, President of Burford Capital, leads Burford’s Equity Project initiative. 

Ms. Will states: “The Equity Project reflects Burford’s values and our pragmatism—our belief not only that it is right to use our capital and our industry leadership to help close the diversity gap in the leadership of commercial disputes, but also that there is a tangible benefit to our clients and the business of law to doing so.”

She continues: “The whole Burford team is proud of the impact we have made. Clients appreciate The Equity Project as a tool to promote leadership from diverse backgrounds, and we hear directly from those who’ve been funded that it makes a difference in their careers. From when I first started practicing law to today, the business of law has made progress, but the legal profession remains slow to adapt, and in providing economic levers for change, we are doing our part to expedite still more.”

Equity Project Mission and Impact

The Equity Project enables female and racially diverse lawyers to compete for leadership roles in significant matters with attractive terms in place. It incentivizes firms to promote talent from diverse backgrounds and demonstrates innovation to clients. Businesses can use Equity Project capital to encourage the firms that represent them to appoint female and racially diverse lawyers on their matters, and as a reason to talk to their firms about diverse representation and origination credit.

Equity Project matters funded to date include contract disputes, antitrust, federal statutory, IP/patent and treaty and commercial arbitration matters, with female and racially diverse litigators in leadership roles (first or second chair), and with clients represented by women- or minority-owned firms. Clients include large corporations and large litigation boutiques.

We have to date provided financing for 19 different matters from the Equity Project, some of which were multi-case portfolios. The average amount of capital committed per matter was $8.9 million, indicating that these are large, complex litigation and arbitration matters. The matters qualified for inclusion in the Equity Project on the following basis:

  • 14 with first or second chair female lawyers
  • 3 with first or second chair racially diverse lawyers
  • 2 with both a female and racially diverse lawyer as lead lawyers

Equity Project Champions

Burford has also expanded its cadre of Equity Project Champions, corporate and law firm leaders who will support and spread awareness of the initiative. The expanded list, which is currently in formation, includes the following returning and new* Champions:

APAC

  • *Angela Ee, Asean and Singapore Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy Leader, EY-Parthenon
  • *Blossom Hing, Director, Dispute Resolution and Corporate Restructuring & Workouts, Drew and Napier
  • Brenda Horrigan, International Arbitrator

Europe

  • *Conway Blake, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton
  • Amy Frey, Partner, King & Spalding
  • Sophie Nappert, International Arbitrator; Co-Founder, ArbTech
  • *Akima Paul Lambert, Partner, Hogan Lovells
  • Sue Prevezer QC, International Arbitrator, Mediator and Consultant, Brick Court Chambers
  • Noradèle Radjai, Partner, Lalive
  • *Lauma Skruzmane, Founding and Co-Managing Partner, Butler Reichline Skruzmane
  • Daniel Winterfeldt MBE QC (Hon), Founder & Chair Interlaw Diversity Forum, Managing Director & General Counsel – EMEA And Asia, Jefferies

US

  • Elizabeth Brannen, Managing Partner & Chair of Intellectual Property Litigation, Stris & Maher
  • Mylan Denerstein, Co-Chair, Public Policy Practice Group, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
  • *Ryan Dunigan, Senior Division Counsel, Corning, Incorporated
  • The Honorable Katherine B. Forrest, Partner, Paul Weiss
  • Faith Gay, Founding Partner, Selendy & Gay
  • Maria Ginzburg, Partner, Selendy & Gay
  • Megan E. Jones, Partner, Hausfeld
  • Carolyn Lamm, Partner, White & Case
  • Tara Lee, Partner, White & Case
  • Roberta D. Liebenberg, Senior Partner, Fine, Kaplan & Black
  • Veta T. Richardson, President & CEO, Association of Corporate Counsel
  • Adriana Riviere-Badell, Partner, Kobre & Kim
  • *Lauren M. Weinstein, Partner, MoloLamken

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, DC, Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.

About the author

Harry Moran

Harry Moran

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Announcements Case Developments Commercial

Australian Google Ad Tech Class Action Commenced on Behalf of Publishers

By Harry Moran |

A class action was filed on 16 December 2024 on behalf of QNews Pty Ltd and Sydney Times Media Pty Ltd against Google LLC, Google Pte Ltd and Google Australia Pty Ltd (Google). 

The class action has been commenced to recover compensation for Australian-domiciled website and app publishers who have suffered financial losses as a result of Google’s misuse of market power in the advertising technology sector. The alleged loss is that publishers would have had significantly higher revenues from selling advertising space, and would have kept greater profits, if not for Google’s misuse of market power. 

The class action is being prosecuted by Piper Alderman with funding from Woodsford, which means affected publishers will not pay costs to participate in this class action, nor will they have any financial risk in relation to Google’s costs. 

Anyone, or any business, who has owned a website or app and sold advertising space using Google’s ad tech tools can join the action as a group member by registering their details at www.googleadtechaction.com.au. Participation in the action as a group member will be confidential so Google will not become aware of the identity of group members. 

The class action is on behalf of all publishers who had websites or apps and sold advertising space using Google’s platforms targeted at Australian consumers, including: 

  1. Google Ad Manager (GAM);
  2. Doubleclick for Publishers (DFP);
  3. Google Ad Exchange (AdX); and
  4. Google AdSense or AdMob. 

for the period 16 December 2018 to 16 December 2024. 

Google’s conduct 

Google’s conduct in the ad tech market is under scrutiny in various jurisdictions around the world. In June 2021, the French competition authority concluded that Google had abused its dominant position in the ad tech market. Google did not contest the decision, accepted a fine of €220m and agreed to change its conduct. The UK Competition and Markets Authority, the European Commission, the US Department of Justice and the Canadian Competition Bureau have also commenced investigations into, or legal proceedings regarding, Google’s conduct in ad tech. There are also class actions being prosecuted against Google for its practices in the ad tech market in the UK, EU and Canada. 

In Australia, Google’s substantial market power and conduct has been the subject of regulatory investigation and scrutiny by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which released its report in August 2021. The ACCC found that “Google is the largest supplier of ad tech services across the entire ad tech supply chain: no other provider has the scale or reach across the ad tech supply chain that Google does.” It concluded that “Google’s vertical integration and dominance across the ad tech supply chain, and in related services, have allowed it to engage in leveraging and self-preferencing conduct, which has likely interfered with the competitive process". 

Quotes 

Greg Whyte, a partner at Piper Alderman, said: 

“This class action is of major importance to publishers, who have suffered as a result of Google’s practices in the ad tech monopoly that it has secured. As is the case in several other 2. jurisdictions around the world, Google will be required to respond to and defend its monopolistic practices which significantly affect competition in the Australian publishing market”. 

Charlie Morris, Chief Investment Officer at Woodsford said: “This class action follows numerous other class actions against Google in other jurisdictions regarding its infringement of competition laws in relation to AdTech. This action aims to hold Google to account for its misuse of market power and compensate website and app publishers for the consequences of Google’s misconduct. Working closely with economists, we have determined that Australian website and app publishers have been earning significantly less revenue and profits from advertising than they should have. We aim to right this wrong.” 

Class Action representation 

The team prosecuting the ad tech class action comprises: 

  • Law firm: Piper Alderman
  • Funder: Woodsford
  • Counsel team: Nicholas de Young KC, Simon Snow and Nicholas Walter
Announcements Consumer

Rockpoint Legal Funding Shines at Consumer Attorneys of California Annual Convention

By Harry Moran |

Rockpoint Legal Funding proudly participated in the annual conference hosted by the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), showcasing its commitment to supporting legal professionals and their clients. As the only funding company endorsed by CAOC, Rockpoint Legal Funding leveraged this premier event to connect with new and prospective partners reinforcing its position as a trusted funder within California's legal community.

The CAOC is a prestigious network of attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of California consumers. Each year, the organization hosts its annual convention, bringing together some of the brightest legal minds and innovators in the industry. For Rockpoint Legal Funding, this event was an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate its unwavering dedication to empowering attorneys and their clients through tailored legal funding solutions.

During the convention, Rockpoint operated a booth where team members engaged with attendees, offering insights into the company's services and how they benefit both legal professionals and consumers seeking justice. From new attorneys looking for funding solutions to established firms aiming to streamline their case workflows, Rockpoint provided personalized advice and showcased its comprehensive suite of legal funding options.

"Rockpoint is proud to partner with the Consumer Attorneys of California. We take a lot of pride in serving the attorneys and their clients of this prestigious organization," said Ramtin Ghaneeian, Founding Partner of Rockpoint Legal Funding. His statement highlights the company's commitment to strengthening its collaboration with CAOC and continuing to support its mission of safeguarding the rights of California consumers.

President of Rockpoint Legal Funding, Maz Ghorban, emphasized the value of building strong relationships at events like this, stating, "It's a privilege to connect with our law firm partners at the CAOC convention each year while ensuring our values align with protecting California consumers through legal recourse."

Rockpoint's presence at the CAOC annual convention underscores its dedication to fostering meaningful connections within the legal community. By being the only CAOC-endorsed funding company, Rockpoint reinforces its credibility and reliability in the legal funding landscape. This endorsement is a testament to Rockpoint's shared vision with CAOC in championing consumer rights and providing critical support to those navigating the justice system.

For attorneys and law firms, Rockpoint Legal Funding offers a variety of non-recourse funding solutions, ensuring clients have the financial support they need during ongoing litigation. This commitment aligns perfectly with CAOC's mission to advocate for justice and fairness for California consumers.

As Rockpoint continues to deepen its relationships with legal professionals, events like the CAOC annual convention remain a cornerstone of its outreach efforts. The company looks forward to future collaborations and furthering its impact within the legal community.

For more information about Rockpoint Legal Funding and its services, visit Rockpointlegalfunding.com or call (855) 582-9200.

About Rockpoint Legal Funding

Rockpoint Legal Funding is a leading provider of non-recourse legal funding solutions, serving attorneys and their clients with unparalleled expertise and care. With a mission to empower justice and support favorable case outcomes, Rockpoint is committed to providing financial assistance during critical times, ensuring no one is denied access to legal recourse due to financial constraints.

Announcements Commercial Fundraising

Nera Capital Secures Additional $25 million in New Funding Deal

By Harry Moran |

Top litigation finance firm Nera Capital is ending the year on a high with the announcement of yet another successfully closed funding deal, this time securing $25 million to bolster UK consumer protection claims.

The funding, secured through a US-based investment partner, reflects yet another significant milestone for the firm as it continues to build momentum and strengthen its foothold in the market. 

This recently closed funding deal builds on a prosperous year of growth for Nera Capital, further demonstrating its capabilities across the globe. The investment will be directed towards advancing claims that protect UK consumers, enabling greater access to justice for individuals seeking redress.

With offices in Dublin, Manchester, and Amsterdam, Nera Capital has consistently demonstrated its commitment to driving innovation and impact in litigation finance worldwide. This latest funding announcement underscores Nera Capital’s ability to forge strategic international partnerships that deliver meaningful results. 

In 2024, Nera have hit record numbers of settlements, deployment and company profitability but also grown major portfolio positions in Europe and the USA.

Aisling Byrne, Director at Nera Capital, commented on the announcement: “We are happy to have closed yet another significant funding deal, further cementing our position as a leading force in consumer protection litigation. We anticipate this initial facility figure will increase as our partnership strengthens and thrives over time.

She added: “This is not just about financial growth; it’s about expanding our ability to make a difference. With this funding, we are reinforcing our commitment to fairness and justice, empowering consumers, and holding organisations accountable.”

The announcement follows the recent launch of Nera Capital’s £250,000 Access to Justice Fund, aimed at providing legal and financial support to those who may otherwise face barriers to justice.

The firm’s efforts come at a time of heightened focus on consumer rights across the world, driven by evolving legal frameworks, increased attention to data privacy, and growing concerns about sustainability and corporate accountability.

“This funding is another step forward in a year of tremendous progress for Nera Capital,” Aisling continued.

“As we look to 2025, we remain committed to leveraging our resources and expertise to protect consumers and advocate for justice on both sides of the Atlantic.“ 

About Nera Capital 

·       Established in 2011, Nera Capital is a specialist funding provider to law firms.  

·       Provides Law Firm Lend funding across diverse claim portfolios in both the Consumer and Commercial sector. 

·       Headquartered in Dublin, the firm also has offices in Manchester and Holland. 

·       Member of European Litigation Funders Association

.     www.neracapital.com