Two of the most prominent art lawyers are departing their New York law firm to open a boutique firm. The founders of the new firm, Larry Kaye and Howard Spiegler, announced their intent to focus solely on matters involving art law. Those involved have called the split “friendly,” and say it’s largely about Kaye Spiegler embracing higher levels of risk.
The litigation funding landscape is expanding to accommodate an ever-increasing number of players. Increased regulation, professional organizations, and a push for standardized funding agreements indicate a maturing industry that’s become an integral part of the legal world.
Last year, London saw an unprecedented 1,775 maritime arbitration cases. As the city is the accepted center for this type of dispute, that number indicates that maritime arbitration is on the rise around the globe. Arbitration can take years to resolve—allowing time for debtors to move assets around and make eventual enforcement more difficult. With arbitration funding and the expertise that accompanies it, arbitration can be the best option.
On the most recent episode of the Litigation Finance Podcast, Cesar Bello, Partner and Deputy General Counsel of Corbin Capital, explained how he evaluates litigation finance investments, what his ROI expectations are, and how funders can mitigate risk. Below are some key takeaways from the discussion.
Kerberos Capital Management announced today the introduction of a groundbreaking new direct lending product to law firms with a margin ratchet linked to ESG targets – the first debt product of its kind in Litigation Finance markets. The program is intended both to recognize and reward firms that have already established a commitment to advancing ESG factors in their work, and to incentivize qualifying firms to continue those efforts into the future.
The pandemic has made an unwitting impact on nearly every industry. Its impact on litigation funding was largely positive. Since the first COVID shutdowns began, funders around the world have been besieged with interest from investors, businesses, and clients hoping to launch individual or collective actions. Litigation Capital Management (LCM) has seen exceptional progress, even within the funding industry.
Longford Capital Management, LP, a leader in commercial litigation finance, announced the final closing of its most recent fund (including a parallel fund, “Fund III”), at $682 million. Longford’s assets under management now exceed $1.2 billion, placing it among the largest private equity firms focused on investments in legal assets. Fund III is the third private investment fund Longford has closed since the firm began operating in 2013.
The Supreme Court of Victoria declined to allow a 25% contingency fee. The decision represents the first time the court has used its power to make a Group Cost Order—which the court determined was preferable to a “no win, no fee” arrangement.
In the early days of litigation funding, legal firms and funders were separate entities. As the industry has grown more widely accepted, an increasing number of law firms are teaming up with funders to offer clients an array of new services. Now some are questioning whether this is really a positive development.
LegalPay, a start-up focused on third-party litigation finance, has announced the successful closure of its maiden litigation fund. The Arbitration Focused SPV I, a smaller ticket special purpose vehicle (SPV), designed for upper-retail investors, was launched last month, and has now been oversubscribed, a LegalPay statement said.
It stands to reason that litigation funders and big corporations would be at odds over class actions. After all, it’s often funding that makes pursuing these cases possible. Third-party funding provides the tools needed for people harmed by companies or governments to seek restitution. These large entities, and those who insure them, may not be used to this kind of accountability–and blame funders for increasing access to justice.
Legal funding is an established and respected industry in Australia. It’s continually expanding and adapting to meet the needs of an increasing client pool. Leading funder Burford Capital has received and vetted more than 10,000 funding requests.
Keller Lenkner is turning heads in the legal community of late. The boutique law firm has doubled in size since the start of the pandemic, and has also opened two new offices. The firm seeks out complex cases, often class actions, where it can make a big impact in the lives of people. Before founding Keller Lenkner, the founders launched Gerchen Keller Capital—a litigation finance firm later sold to Burford Capital.
The following article is part of an ongoing column titled ‘Investor Insights.’
Brought to you by Ed Truant, founder and content manager of Slingshot Capital, ‘Investor Insights’ will provide thoughtful and engaging perspectives on all aspects of investing in litigation finance.
This past June, the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee published recommendations for the European Commission. This draft report is being discussed and debated by the Economic Affairs Committee before being discussed in Parliament in November. If Parliament adopts the draft report, the next step would be for the European Commission to draft new legislative proposals.
Omni Bridgeway’s share price fell subsequent to an appeals judgment against Seqwater. The ruling overturned a 2019 judgment against the dam management company. The original ruling determined that Seqwater was liable for half of the compensation claims from floods in early 2011.
Gately, the first law firm to list publicly in the UK, recently announced a GBP 20 million litigation funding arm. Expected to begin in early 2022, the funding arm will specialize in claims related to insolvency, investor and shareholder disputes, fraud, and asset protection and recovery.
Follower Notices have been in use since 2014, and refer to a notification given to someone who has used an “avoidance scheme” that was determined to be ineffective by a case against another user. This gives taxpayers an opportunity to adjust or amend their tax filings. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issues these notices frequently, which is considered controversial for a variety of reasons.
Burford Capital Limited, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today announces that it will hold an investor event on Tuesday November 2, 2021 at 10.00am-12.30pm EDT / 2.00-4.30pm GMT / 3.00-5.30pm CET.
Liti Capital SA, a Swiss-based litigation funding provider that has opened up private equity investing to the masses through blockchain technology, is launching staking for its wLITI token.
Pretium, a specialized investment management firm with more than $26 billion in assets, today announced that it has established a legal opportunities investment team. Pretium’s legal opportunities team will work with corporations and law firms to identify and invest in legal and commercial opportunities where its team has deep knowledge and experience and that offer attractive return potential for investors. Areas of investment will include high value complex disputes between businesses, arbitrations, antitrust, patent and intellectual property, bankruptcy, distressed debt and insolvency and monetization of judgments and awards. Pretium will not be investing in consumer litigation finance.
Stonward Litgation Funding, boutique specialized in offering bespoke solutions to finance litigation both in Europe and the Americas, has a new director and Head of Legal Assets: Guido Demarco, a legal expert with extensive experience in debt restructuring (private and sovereign), NPL strategies and legal, banking and financial project management.
