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Apex Litigation Finance Appoints Gabriel Olearnik as Head of Legal

By John Freund |

Apex Litigation Finance has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Gabriel Olearnik, a highly experienced litigation funding professional with a global track record in high-value dispute resolution and complex commercial matters.

Over the past five years, Gabriel has originated and reviewed more than 451 litigation funding cases worldwide with an aggregate value exceeding $116 billion, closing deals worth over $700 million. His recent work includes the successful settlement of a high-profile BIT matter as well as executive employment claims in the UK.

Gabriel’s career spans senior roles in UK, US and European litigation funders, where he was instrumental in structuring high-value transactions, securing strategic court orders and conducting multi-jurisdictional investigations. In 2023, he closed a £268 million litigation funding deal in just three weeks, underscoring his ability to deliver results under tight timelines.

Recognised by Lexology as one of only 66 lawyers worldwide to receive the Thought Leaders in Third Party Funding accolade, Gabriel has been involved in matters that have attracted daily media coverage and required innovative dispute strategies. His experience extends to training legal teams, advising on politically sensitive disputes, and executing complex enforcement actions.

“Gabriel brings exceptional global experience, deep sector knowledge, and a proven ability to deliver in high-stakes environments,” said Maurice Power, CEO of Apex Litigation Finance. “His appointment further enhances Apex’s market position and it’s ability to originate, evaluate and fund complex commercial claims for our clients.”

“I am delighted to join Maurice and the team at Apex,” said Gabriel. “Apex’s strong financial backing and their speed of execution make this a natural alignment. I look forward to building on the strong foundation set out by my predecessor, Stephen Allinson, and contributing to the future success of the business.”

Gabriel’s appointment reflects Apex’s ongoing growth in funding small to mid-sized UK commercial disputes and builds on the company’s commitment to delivering fast, fair, and competitive non-recourse litigation funding solutions to claimant’s who may be prohibited from pursuing meritorious cases due to cost and/or financial risk.

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Three Sounds, Three Purposes: Understanding Consumer Legal Funding, Commercial Litigation Financing, and Attorney Portfolio Financing

By Eric Schuller |

The following was contributed by Eric K. Schuller, President, The Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding (ARC).

When people talk about third party litigation financing, they often lump everything into one bucket—as if every type of funding that touches the legal system is essentially the same. But that’s a misconception. The world of legal finance is much more varied, and each type serves a distinct role for a distinct audience.

A good way to understand the differences is to step away from the courtroom and into the world of music. Think of Consumer Legal Funding as a rock band, Commercial Litigation Financing as a symphony orchestra, and Attorney Portfolio Financing as a gospel choir.

All three make music—they all provide funding connected to the legal system—but they produce very different sounds, are organized differently, and serve different purposes. Let’s explore these three “musical groups” of legal funding to understand how they work, why they exist, and what separates them.

Consumer Legal Funding: The Rock Band

Immediate, Personal, and Audience-Driven

A rock band connects directly with its fans. The music is raw, emotional, and often tied to the lived experiences of ordinary people. That’s exactly what Consumer Legal Funding does—it provides individuals with direct financial support while they are waiting for their personal injury cases to resolve.

Most people who seek consumer legal funding have been in a car accident, or experienced some other harm caused by negligence. While their cases work their way through the legal system, they still need to pay rent, buy groceries, keep the lights on, and support their families. Consumer Legal Funding steps in to help them cover these day-to-day expenses.

Like a rock band that thrives on the energy of a crowd, Consumer Legal Funding is closely tied to the needs of everyday people. It’s not about abstract legal theories or corporate strategy. It’s about giving real people financial breathing room so they can withstand the pressure from insurers who might otherwise push them to settle for less than they deserve.

Flexibility and Accessibility

Just as a rock band doesn’t require a massive concert hall or multimillion-dollar backing, Consumer Legal Funding is accessible on a small, personal scale. A consumer can request a few hundred or a few thousand dollars to cover immediate needs, and repayment is contingent on the case outcome. If the plaintiff loses, they owe nothing.

This non-recourse structure mirrors the risk of a rock band going on tour—they might make money, or they might not, but the fans are there for the experience. Similarly, Consumer Legal Funding companies take the risk that the case might not succeed, and they may not get their investment back.

Critics and Misconceptions

Rock bands often face criticism for being too loud, too disruptive, or too unconventional compared to “serious” classical music. Consumer Legal Funding gets similar pushback. Critics sometimes argue it encourages frivolous lawsuits or drives up settlement costs. But the reality is the opposite—the funds provided to a consumer doesn’t fund lawsuits; they fund life necessities for individuals already in the legal system.

Consumer Legal Funding’s role is narrow but vital. Like a rock band giving a voice to ordinary people, it empowers individuals who might otherwise be silenced by financial hardship.

Commercial Litigation Financing: The Symphony Orchestra

Complex, Structured, and High-Stakes

Where Consumer Legal Funding is the rock band of the legal funding world, Commercial Litigation Financing is the full symphony orchestra—large, complex, and meticulously coordinated.

Here, the players are not individuals injured in accidents but corporations, investors, and law firms involved in high-value commercial disputes. These cases can involve intellectual property battles, antitrust issues, international contract disputes, or shareholder actions. The stakes often run into the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.

Like an orchestra, Commercial Litigation Financing is structured and multi-layered. Each section—strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion—must work together under the baton of a conductor. In litigation finance, this “conductor” is the funding company, aligning investors, lawyers, and plaintiffs toward a common goal: seeing the case through to resolution.

Strategic and Long-Term

Orchestras don’t play three-minute songs; they perform long symphonies that require endurance, precision, and careful planning. Similarly, Commercial Litigation Financing is not about immediate cash flow. It’s about supporting a complex legal strategy over years of litigation.

Funds can cover attorney fees, expert witnesses, discovery costs, and even corporate operations while a case drags on. The financing enables companies to pursue claims they might otherwise abandon because of the sheer cost and duration of litigation.

Audience and Impact

The audience for an orchestra is often more formal, more elite, and more willing to pay for a grand performance. Commercial Litigation Financing likewise serves a specialized, high-stakes audience: multinational corporations, hedge funds, and sophisticated investors. The outcomes affect entire industries and markets, not just individual households.

While a rock band might play in bars or stadiums, an orchestra plays in concert halls before an audience expecting refinement. That’s the difference in scale between Consumer Legal Funding and Commercial Litigation Financing.

Attorney Portfolio Financing: The Gospel Choir

Collective Strength and Community

If Consumer Legal Funding is a rock band and Commercial Litigation Financing is a symphony orchestra, then Attorney Portfolio Financing is a gospel choir. It’s powerful, collective, and rooted in the idea of strength in numbers.

Attorney Portfolio Financing provides capital to law firms by pooling together multiple cases—often personal injury or contingency fee cases—into one financing arrangement. Instead of betting on a single case, the funding spreads across a portfolio, much like the voices of a choir blend to create a unified sound.

Stability and Predictability

A gospel choir doesn’t rely on one soloist to carry the performance. If one voice falters, the rest keep singing. Similarly, portfolio financing reduces risk because the outcome of any one case doesn’t determine the success of the financing. The strength lies in the collective performance of many cases.

This allows law firms to take on more clients, expand their practices, and better withstand the financial ups and downs of litigation. For clients, it means their attorneys have the resources to see their cases through rather than being pressured into quick settlements.

Purpose and Spirit

Gospel choirs aren’t just about music—they’re about inspiration, resilience, and community. Attorney Portfolio Financing carries a similar spirit. It’s designed not only to provide financial stability for law firms but also to empower them to serve clients more effectively.

While the audience for a gospel choir is often the community itself, the “audience” for portfolio financing is law firms and, indirectly, the clients who benefit from better-resourced representation.

Comparing the Three Sounds

To appreciate the differences, let’s put the three side by side:

Type of FundingMusical AnalogyAudienceScalePurpose
Consumer Legal FundingRock BandIndividuals waiting for case resolutionSmall-scale, personalHelps consumers cover living expenses while awaiting settlement
Commercial Litigation FinancingSymphony OrchestraCorporations, investors, large law firmsLarge-scale, complexFunds high-stakes commercial disputes over years
Attorney Portfolio FinancingGospel ChoirLaw firms (and indirectly their clients)Medium-to-large scaleProvides stability by funding multiple cases at once

Why These Distinctions Matter

Understanding these distinctions isn’t just an academic exercise—it has real implications for policy, regulation, and public perception. Too often, critics conflate Consumer Legal Funding with Commercial Litigation Financing or assume Attorney Portfolio Financing operates the same way as individual case advances.

But regulating a rock band as if it were an orchestra—or treating a gospel choir as if it were a solo act—would miss the point entirely. Each type of legal funding has its own purpose, structure, and audience.

  • Consumer Legal Funding keeps people afloat in times of crisis.
  • Commercial Litigation Financing enables corporations to fight complex battles on equal footing.
  • Attorney Portfolio Financing stabilizes law firms and expands access to justice.

All three are part of the broader “music” of legal finance, but they are distinct genres with distinct contributions.

Conclusion: Harmony Through Diversity

Music would be dull if every performance sounded the same. The same is true for legal finance. A rock band, a symphony orchestra, and a gospel choir all create music, but their sounds, audiences, and purposes differ dramatically.

Similarly, Consumer Legal Funding, Commercial Litigation Financing, and Attorney Portfolio Financing are all forms of legal finance, but each plays a unique role. Recognizing these differences is crucial for policymakers, industry professionals, and the public.

When we appreciate the rock band, the orchestra, and the choir for what they are, we begin to see the full richness of the legal finance “soundtrack.” Together, they form a diverse ecosystem that, when balanced correctly, ensures both individuals and institutions can pursue justice without being silenced by financial pressure.

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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.

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Apex Litigation Finance Announces the Retirement of Stephen Allinson as Head of Legal

By John Freund |

Apex Litigation Finance has announced the retirement of Stephen Allinson from his role as Head of Legal, marking the end of a formal leadership chapter but not his association with the litigation funder.

Stephen is a highly respected Solicitor and Licensed Insolvency Practitioner with more than 40 years’ experience in business law, insolvency and debt recovery. Over the course of his career, he has combined practice with thought leadership, lecturing widely on credit and insolvency matters and serving in senior regulatory and educational roles.

His distinguished career includes:

  • Building and leading a nationally recognised insolvency and debt recovery practice at a large regional law practice, employing over 60 department staff and managing key national contracts.
  • Serving as Chairman of the Board of The Insolvency Service and Chairman of The Joint Insolvency Examination Board.
  • Holding senior tribunal and regulatory positions, including membership of the ICAEW Conduct Committee and more than a decade chairing disciplinary and appeal tribunals for the ACCA.
  • Chairing the Assessment Board of the Chartered Institute of Credit

Stephen first joined Apex in 2019 as a consultant, before becoming Head of Legal in 2022. In that capacity he has been instrumental in guiding Apex’s legal strategy, strengthening its market position and ensuring the company’s commitment to fair, practical and client-focused litigation funding.

While he will be stepping down from the Head of Legal role, Stephen’s association with Apex will not end. He will continue to serve the business as a trusted consultant, providing invaluable expertise and support to the team and Apex’s clients.

Maurice Power, CEO of Apex Litigation Finance, said: “Stephen’s contribution to Apex has been exceptional. His legal expertise, combined with his deep understanding of insolvency and credit law, has helped shape Apex into the funder it is today. We are delighted that while he is stepping down from his formal role, we will continue to benefit from his counsel as a consultant. We thank him sincerely for his leadership and look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Tim Fallowfield, Apex Chairman wrote:  “Apex would not be where it is today without Stephen’s contribution, his wide-ranging legal knowledge and passion for his work. He has mentored the legal team, led by example and been an integral member of the Apex Investment Committee. We wish him lots of luck for the next chapter and look forward to his future engagement with the Apex business. From all of us at Apex, a hearty thanks.”

Stephen commented: “It has been a privilege to be part of the Apex journey and contribute to the growth of the company. Access to justice has always been one of the guiding principles of my professional career and I look forward to the continuing growth of Apex and still playing my part, albeit in a different role.”

About Apex Litigation Finance

Apex Litigation Finance provides fast, fair and flexible funding solutions for small to mid-sized UK commercial disputes requiring between £10,000 and £750,000 of funding, on a non-recourse basis. By combining financial support with deep sector expertise, Apex enables access to justice for claimants while serving as a trusted partner to legal professionals and insolvency practitioners.

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Funding of collective actions under the spotlight

By Tom Webster |

The following was contributed by Tom Webster, Chief Commercial Officer for Sentry Funding.

The UK government is seeking views on the operation of litigation funding in the collective actions sphere, as part of its wider review of the opt-out collective actions regime in competition law.

An open call for evidence by the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) earlier this month featured a number of questions relating to litigation funding. These included whether the approach to funders’ share of settlement sums or damages is fair and proportionate; how the secondary market in litigation funding has developed and whether this has affected transparency and client confidentiality; whether funding provision for the full potential cost of claims is considered enough at the outset; and how conflict between litigation funders and class representatives should be approached.

As well as funding issues within the regime, the review will also look at scope and certification of cases; alternative dispute resolution, settlement and damages; and distribution of funds.

The DBT said it was time to review the operation and impact of the opt-out collective actions regime in competition law, as it is now ten years since its introduction through the Consumer Rights Act 2015. 

It said: ‘This government is focused on economic growth, and a regime that is proportionate and focused on returns to consumers where they are due is good for growth and investment.

‘However, we are aware of the potential burden on business that increased exposure to litigation can present. Finding the right balance between achieving redress for consumers and limiting the burden on business is essential to ensure that businesses can operate with certainty, whilst providing a clear, cost-effective, route for consumers.’

Providing background to its review, the DBT noted that when it was introduced in 2015, the regime was intended to make it easier for consumers, including businesses, to seek redress where they have suffered loss due to breach of competition law. It said that since then, the regime has developed and expanded significantly: ‘tens of billions’ of pounds in damages have been claimed, and ‘hundreds of millions’ of pounds spent on legal fees. The DBT said this was far higher than anticipated in the original impact assessment, which estimated the total cost to business to be just £30.8 million per annum.

The DBT also noted that the type of case being brought before the CAT has also developed in ‘unexpected’ ways. When the regime was introduced, it was expected that most cases would be follow-on claims, brought after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) or European Commission have already investigated anti-competitive behaviour and made an adverse finding. However, approximately 90% of the current caseload is now made up of standalone cases, the DBT said.

The government also pointed out that only one case (Justin Le Patourel v BT Group Plc [2024] CAT 76) has reached judgment in the CAT, with other certified cases generally concluding in settlement outside of court. This means that there has been limited precedent set on key issues such as damages and distribution, it asserted.

Proponents of the collective actions regime have pointed out that it is still relatively new, and has been subject to much challenge by defendants. But while it will inevitably take time to bed in, they argue that the regime is already effective in improving corporate behaviour and levelling the playing field for consumers.

The government said its review will also take into account existing work relevant to the regime, such as the Civil Justice Council (CJC)’s recent report on litigation funding.  

Its call for evidence will close on 14 October. 

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Car Finance Mis-Selling: What the UK Supreme Court Verdict Really Means

By Kevin Prior |

The following article was contributed by Kevin Prior, Chief Commercial Officer of Seven Stars Legal Funding.

On Friday 1st August 2025, the Supreme Court delivered its ruling on car finance commission complaints. While banks avoided the massive £44 billion liability some predicted, one customer called Johnson won his case – and that victory has opened the door for thousands of similar claims totalling somewhere between £9bn and £18bn – still a huge market.

The Bottom Line: Johnson proved his finance deal was “unfair” because:

  • The dealer received a massive undisclosed commission (55% of all the interest he paid)
  • He was misled about getting independent advice when the dealer was actually tied to one lender
  • Important information was hidden in small print

What This Means

The Supreme Court has given us a clear roadmap. Claims will succeed where customers can show:

  • Excessive hidden commissions (Johnson’s was 55% of his interest payments)
  • Poor disclosure – burying commission details in terms & conditions isn’t enough
  • Misleading sales practices – claiming to offer “best deals” while being tied to one lender
  • Pre-2021 agreements often have the strongest cases

Why This Is Good News

  • No government bailout risk – the ruling removes fears of political intervention to protect banks
  • Clear success criteria – we now know exactly what makes a winning case
  • Settlement pressure – lenders know more claims are coming and want to avoid court
  • Immediate opportunity – claims can start now without waiting for regulators

Our Position

Our cautious approach to date has been vindicated. While others rushed in with untested legal theories, we waited for clarity. Now we have it.

The car finance opportunity is very much alive – it just requires smarter case selection. We’re actively evaluating opportunities and expect to be funding cases that meet the Johnson criteria in the coming weeks.

The FCA will announce their compensation scheme plans in October, but the legal pathway is already clear. Well-selected cases with Johnson-style facts have strong prospects of success.

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Lexolent Litigation Fund 1 SP Achieves First Successful Investment Conclusion, Delivering Access to Justice in Landmark DIFC Case

By John Freund |

Lexolent Litigation Fund 1 SP, the inaugural fund from litigation funding disruptor Lexolent, and the first litigation fund to be based in the UAE, has achieved its first successful investment in a case litigated before the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts. The matter—Claim No. CFI 081/2023, concerned an unpaid commission claim by Dubai based businessman, Michael Forbes.

Absent Lexolent’s funding, Mr Forbes would have been unable to pursue the case and secure the payment to which he was rightfully entitled. The investment, which was concluded over just 21 months, will generate a very high internal rate of return (IRR) for Lexolent’s Limited Partner (LP) investors, showcasing the fund’s ability to deliver both strong financial performance and tangible social impact.

The result was a resounding success for both parties. Lexolent secured a strong return on its investment, while Mr Forbes obtained a substantial and life-changing judgment in his favour.

“Without Lexolent’s help, I would not have been able to right the wrong that was done to me,” said Mr Forbes. “Lexolent gave me access to justice, and I am delighted to have been introduced to them. I have learned through this experience that not all litigation funders are the same. Nick Rowles-Davies is very much one of the original founders of this industry and is exceptionally easy to work with. His expertise and experience made this transaction straightforward and highly professional.”

Lexolent CEO, Dr Nick Rowles-Davies, commented: “This is a perfect example of litigation funding in action. Without our investment, Mr Forbes would not have been able to secure such a substantial and transformative judgment. It was our pleasure to assist him—and, from our perspective, it was also a very strong investment, particularly given the high IRR that will be achieved for our LPs over a short 21-month period.”

This first win for Lexolent Litigation Fund 1 SP marks a significant milestone for the company as it continues to reshape the litigation finance landscape both in the Middle East and globally. The case underscores the vital role litigation funding plays in levelling the playing field between claimants and well-resourced defendants, ensuring that justice is not a privilege but a right accessible to all.

Syed Mujtaba Hussain, founding partner of UAE based boutique law firm Emirates Legal, acted for Mr Forbes and instructed David Parratt KC and William Frain-Bell KC.

Mr Hussain commented: “This was the first time I have used litigation funding but I will certainly do so again. Lexolent were easy to work with and allowed the lawyers to do their job without concern over fees being met. Litigation funding is a valuable tool and it assisted in producing a great result for Mr Forbes. We are all delighted with the outcome.”

About Lexolent:

Lexolent is a globally coordinated network for legal finance professionals and the first litigation fund to be based in the UAE, offering innovative funding solutions and unmatched expertise in litigation finance. Led by industry pioneer Dr Nick Rowles-Davies, Lexolent connects capital providers with high-value legal claims, delivering results for claimants and investors alike.

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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.

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LFJ Podcast: Stuart Hills and Guy Nielson, Co-Founders of RiverFleet

By John Freund |

In this episode, we sat down with Stuart Hills and Guy Nielson, co-founders of RiverFleet, a consultancy business specialising in the global Legal Finance market.  

RiverFleet works with clients to help navigate the complexities and idiosyncratic characteristics of the Legal Finance market and make the most of the financial opportunities and risk solutions the market has to offer for business and investment. 

RiverFleet has a highly experienced team, with specialist litigation, finance and structuring, and investment and portfolio management expertise.  They offer a broad range of legal finance services tailor-made for a global client base, including investors, litigation finance funds, claimants, corporates, insolvency practitioners and law firms.

Watch the episode below:

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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.

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Behind the Scenes: How AI is Quietly Transforming the Legal Client Experience

By John Freund |

The following was contributed by Richard Culberson, the CEO North America of Moneypenny, the world’s customer conversation experts, specializing in call answering and live chat solutions.

When people think about the legal client experience, they often picture what happens in the courtroom or during a critical client meeting. But increasingly, the most meaningful changes to how law firms, legal service providers and legal funders support their clients are happening out of sight, thanks to the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Whether it’s client intake, communication routing, or managing complex caseloads and funding relationships, AI is reshaping the way legal teams deliver service behind the scenes.

Across America, firms in all industries are turning to AI to enhance their people. The goal is simple: deliver faster, more personalized, and more efficient service. And when done right, the difference is both quiet and powerful.

At Moneypenny, we work with thousands of legal professionals every day, from solo attorneys to large firms and legal funders, helping them manage customer conversations and deliver great client service. We’ve seen firsthand how AI, when applied with care and purpose, can reshape the client experience from the inside out.

Easy Access to the Right Information

In any busy legal setting, timing is everything. Whether it’s a client call, intake conversation, or case status update, having instant access to accurate information is key. That’s where AI comes in. It can surface the right details in real time so teams can respond quickly and confidently.

Take legal funders, for example, they often need to assess case viability quickly, AI tools can instantly surface key case milestones, funding eligibility criteria, and prior correspondence to accelerate decision-making and reduce friction.

Smarter Call and Message Routing

Any business fields a wide range of calls and messages in a day, and not every inquiry belongs on the same desk. AI can now analyze keywords, tone, and context to route communication to the right person, and it does it automatically.

That means clients reach the right person faster, and your team spends less time untangling misdirected messages. In an industry where responsiveness matters, this kind of behind-the-scenes efficiency is a real win.

Getting Ahead of Client Needs

What’s more, AI doesn’t just react, it can anticipate too. By looking at past interactions and analyzing the data, it can identify patterns and flag issues before they arise.

Let’s say a client regularly asks about timelines or paperwork. AI can flag repetitive requests for status updates from claimant attorneys or co-counsel, prompting automated reporting or scheduled updates to improve transparency and communication between parties. This level of attentiveness not only reduces frustration but also builds trust and reassures clients, something especially valuable in the high-pressure, high-emotion legal industry.

Seamless Experience Across Channels

Today’s clients want to communicate on their own terms, whether that’s by phone, email, live chat, or text. And they expect consistency, no matter the channel. AI can help to make that happen.

By bringing together data from multiple sources, AI ensures that whoever answers the phone or replies to a message (whether that is call one or message five) has the full context. The result is that clients feel heard and known, not like they’re starting over every time, and it is that kind of continuity that can turn a routine exchange into a relationship.

Real-Time Support for Your Team

Think of AI as a digital assistant, offering prompts, surfacing information, and making sure the person handling the call or message has exactly what they need. It is helping people deliver their best work.

At Moneypenny, our AI tools support our legal receptionists during conversations, pulling up relevant details, suggesting next steps, and helping maintain a personalized touch even during peak periods. It’s about helping good people be even better at what they do.

Scaling the Personal Touch

There’s a common misconception that AI makes things feel impersonal or robotic. But when it’s used well, it actually allows businesses to be more personal, and at scale. Imagine being able to greet every client by name, remember their preferences, and respond in a way that feels tailored, even when your team is managing thousands of interactions. That’s what we aim to deliver every day. And AI makes it possible.

For legal funders juggling a portfolio of diverse cases and law firm partners, AI can ensure consistency in tone, terminology, and updates so that funders can maintain an attentive, personalized service level without scaling up staff headcount.

The Big Picture: Human + AI = A Better Experience

Whether you’re running a law firm, operating a litigation finance business, or managing client services across the legal ecosystem, one thing is clear: clients want service that’s fast, accurate, relevant and personal. AI helps make that happen, by enhancing the human touch.

The real transformation isn’t just happening in space that the client sees but in the systems behind the scenes that power that experience. For leaders across legal industry and beyond, the takeaway is this: the future of service isn’t just about upgrading the visible. It’s about building smarter, more supportive systems that let your people do what they do best.

That’s where AI delivers its real value and where the real competitive edge lies. 

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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.

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Victory Park Expands Legal Credit Leadership with Maleson Promotion

By John Freund |

Victory Park Capital (VPC), a global alternative asset manager specializing in private credit, has announced that Justin Maleson will expand his role to Managing Director, co-heading the firm’s legal credit investment strategy. The promotion underscores VPC’s ongoing investment in its legal finance capabilities and follows Maleson’s initial appointment in 2024 as Assistant General Counsel.

An announcement from Victory Park Capital details Maleson’s new responsibilities, which include sourcing, analyzing, and managing investments across legal assets, while maintaining oversight of the firm’s legal operations. He joins Chad Clamage in co-leading the strategy, working alongside team members Hugo Lestiboudois and Andrew Pascal, under the continued oversight of VPC CEO and founder Richard Levy.

Maleson brings a strong background in litigation finance and commercial law to the position. Before joining VPC, he served as a director at Longford Capital, where he specialized in originating and managing litigation funding transactions. His earlier tenure as a litigation partner at Jenner & Block further deepened his exposure to complex legal matters, equipping him with the expertise needed to navigate the nuanced legal credit space.

VPC’s legal credit team emphasizes an asset-backed lending model, prioritizing downside protection and predictable income streams. The firm aims to capitalize on inefficiencies within the legal funding market by leveraging its internal expertise and broad network of relationships. With Maleson’s appointment, VPC signals its intent to further scale its legal credit strategy, positioning itself as a key player in the evolving legal finance sector.

Maleson’s elevation comes at a time of increasing sophistication in litigation finance, where experienced legal minds are playing a pivotal role in portfolio construction and risk management. As VPC bolsters its leadership, the move may foreshadow further institutionalization of legal asset investing and heightened competition in a maturing market segment.

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Golden Pear Upsizes Corporate Note to $78.7M Amid Growth Plans

By John Freund |

Golden Pear Funding has extended and upsized its investment-grade corporate note to $78.7 million, further bolstering the firm’s capacity to serve the expanding litigation finance sector. The New York-based funder, a national leader in both pre-settlement and medical receivables financing, said the proceeds will support working capital and fuel strategic growth initiatives.

A press release from Golden Pear outlines how the capital raise reflects continued investor confidence in the firm’s business model. CEO Gary Amos noted that the infusion is critical as Golden Pear seeks to scale alongside the “rapidly expanding litigation finance market.” CFO Daniel Amsellem added that the new funding aligns with the company’s capital allocation strategy, aimed at optimizing operational efficiency and executing strategic projects.

Brean Capital, LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor and sole placement agent on the transaction.

Founded in 2008, Golden Pear has funded more than $1.1 billion to over 87,000 clients and remains one of the largest specialty finance companies in the U.S. Its business model spans legal case funding and medical receivables purchasing, with backing from a network of private equity partners that provide institutional support for continued expansion.

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Fortress Pushes Back on Tillis-Hern Tax Proposal Targeting Litigation Funding

By John Freund |

In a pointed rebuttal to a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, Fortress Investment Group President Jack Neumark has challenged claims that litigation funders—particularly those with foreign investors—exploit U.S. tax loopholes to avoid paying capital gains taxes on lawsuit proceeds.

The Wall Street Journal published an editorial titled “Ending a Tax Break for Lawsuits” supporting a legislative proposal from Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Kevin Hern that would increase taxes on litigation finance returns. In response, The Wall Street Journal published Neumark’s letter, where he firmly stated that Fortress is an American company whose legal asset investments are made by U.S.-based leadership and taxed under standard corporate or ordinary income rules—not as capital gains.

Neumark argued that Fortress-managed funds do not provide any capital gains tax exemption for foreign investors, pushing back against the editorial’s implication that litigation funding primarily benefits non-U.S. entities seeking to exploit the American legal system. He defended litigation finance as a tool for U.S. businesses to more efficiently pursue justified legal claims, reducing costs and allowing for reinvestment in growth and job creation.

Challenging the editorial’s portrayal of funded claims as “dubious,” Neumark highlighted that many have resulted in jury verdicts or settlements amounting to billions. He underscored the legitimacy of the U.S. court system in weeding out meritless suits and ensuring fair compensation for real damages.

Neumark concluded by warning that the Tillis-Hern tax measure would extend well beyond foreign investors, affecting domestic investors such as pension funds and effectively doubling tax rates on companies pursuing litigation—creating a precedent for ideologically motivated tax targeting.

This public defense signals a broader resistance among funders to legislative efforts that blur the lines between tax reform and ideological opposition to litigation finance. As these proposals gain traction, expect more funders to enter the public arena to protect what they view as vital access-to-justice infrastructure.

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LionFish Updates Model Documents in Response to CJC Report

By John Freund |

LionFish Litigation Finance Ltd has released a new suite of model litigation funding documents, updating its original set from February 2021. The revision comes on the heels of the Civil Justice Council’s (CJC) Final Report on Litigation Funding, issued on 2 June 2025, which calls for a regulatory structure informed by best practices, including key principles published by the European Law Institute (ELI) in October 2024.

A LionFish press release details that the updated suite incorporates several of the ELI Principles (notably 4-12) and broader CJC recommendations, except where doing so would require legislative or procedural reform. LionFish’s goal, according to Managing Director Tets Ishikawa, is not to dictate market norms but to foster industry-wide standardisation and efficiency. This proactive move is also intended to spark further collaboration between funders, insurers, and legal practitioners to develop trade practices akin to those in mature financial markets, such as those promoted by the Loan Market Association and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

The new suite includes three core documents: a litigation funding agreement, a priorities deed to define proceeds distribution, and an assignment deed for insurance benefits. Notably, LionFish has also added documentation for co-investment arrangements, reflecting a growing trend in syndicated funding deals. The funder has already closed seven such transactions.

Managing Director Tanya Lansky emphasised that while litigation funding remains complex, making documentation public enhances transparency and facilitates quicker deal closings—an essential factor for sustaining market growth.

As litigation finance continues to mature, this move by LionFish highlights a shift toward professionalisation and standardisation. With regulators increasingly focused on transparency and fairness, such initiatives may set a de facto benchmark for others in the industry. The question remains: will other funders follow suit, or will regulatory mandates be needed to compel alignment?

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Fenchurch Legal Launches Secured Litigation Funding Strategy for Fixed-Income Investors

By John Freund |

Fenchurch Legal, a UK-based litigation funding specialist, today announced the launch of a structured secured lending strategy aimed at fixed-income investors seeking stable returns outside of traditional markets. With economic uncertainty challenging conventional income instruments, the firm’s high-volume consumer litigation model offers a predictable, uncorrelated alternative designed to deliver quarterly interest payments through a diversified portfolio of secured law firm loans.

As economic volatility continues to test traditional markets, a growing number of investors are turning to alternative asset classes that promise stable risk-reward profiles. Litigation funding, once considered niche, is now emerging as a mainstream alternative investment, providing secure income generation.

Fenchurch Legal, a UK-based specialist in litigation funding, is among the firms redefining  the landscape of alternative credit strategies by offering a secured, income-generating investment that is predictable and uncorrelated with traditional markets.

A Secured Lending Approach to Litigation Funding

Fenchurch Legal has structured its litigation funding offering through a secured lending model, offering investors a fixed-income product with a unique security structure designed to protect investor capital. Unlike large litigation funders who focus on a few high-value commercial cases, Fenchurch Legal funds a high volume of smaller consumer claims – including those related to financial mis-selling and mis-sold car finance. This high- volume strategy allows for broad diversification across numerous law firms and case types, helping to mitigate concentration risk and deliver consistent returns.

The predictability of this model enables investors to receive fixed, quarterly interest payments, making it an attractive option for those seeking regular income through a disciplined, secured alternative to traditional fixed-income investments.

Delivering Predictability in an Uncertain Environment

One of the most attractive features of litigation funding is its low correlation with traditional markets and macroeconomic cycles, making it particularly appealing in volatile or downturn conditions. Unlike speculative alternative assets, high-volume litigation funding offers a structured and secured approach, ideal for investors prioritizing capital preservation and low volatility. Its predictability and resilience are what set it apart, with performance driven by legal outcomes rather than market sentiment or economic indicators.

From Case Selection to Investor Returns: The Fenchurch Model in Action

Real world case examples, such as PPI or mis-sold car finance, demonstrate how funding supports access to justice while delivering predictable outcomes for investors. These well-established, protocol-driven cases highlight the tangible benefits of Fenchurch Legal’s approach.

Investor capital is pooled and deployed via secured loans to law firms, enabling them to pursue a high volume of these smaller consumer claims. These cases follow established legal protocols and have historically demonstrated repeatable outcomes. The loans are repaid by the law firms over time, with interest, regardless of individual case outcomes, all backed by After-the-Event (ATE) insurance for added downside protection. 

This risk-managed structure has allowed Fenchurch Legal to consistently deliver investors with predictable, quarterly interest payments, ideal for income focused investors. By funding thousands of low-value claims across multiple law firms, the model achieves broad diversification and reduces exposure to any single case or firm. This risk-managed approach has historically delivered competitive returns, typically ranging from 11–13% per annum — making it well-suited to income-focused portfolios.

Louisa Klouda, CEO and Founder of Fenchurch Legal, stated, “At Fenchurch Legal, we’ve designed a litigation funding model that mirrors the features fixed income investors value most — regular income, downside security, and a diversified, risk-managed portfolio.”

“In today’s economy, stability is the new growth. Litigation funding provides exactly that — it’s an asset class with low volatility, high transparency, and a compelling risk-adjusted return,” she added.

About Fenchurch Legal

Fenchurch Legal is a UK-based specialist litigation financier, providing disbursement funding to small and mid-sized law firms pursuing consumer claims where outcomes are well-established and repeatable, including housing disrepair, financial mis-selling, and undisclosed commission cases. Founded in early 2020, Fenchurch Legal was established in response to growing demand for litigation funding in the smaller consumer claims segment—an underserved area of the UK litigation finance market. In parallel, Fenchurch Legal structures litigation finance investment products designed for investors, providing exposure to a non-correlated, secured investment class.

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James “Jim” Batson Joins Siltstone Capital as Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer for Legal Finance

By John Freund |

Siltstone Capital, a leading multi-strategy alternative investment firm, is pleased to announce that Jim has joined the firm as a Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of its legal finance strategy. Jim brings extensive experience in legal finance and strategic investment management, enhancing Siltstone Capital’s capabilities in deploying sophisticated, high-value legal investment opportunities globally.

Jim previously served as the Chief Operating Officer at Westfleet Advisors and was Co-Chief Investment Officer – US at the global dispute finance company, Omni Bridgeway. In that role, he played a key role in developing the firm’s U.S. presence, co-leading its investment strategy, and building out a top-tier legal finance team. At Siltstone, Jim will utilize this extensive experience to guide investment strategy, identify high-quality opportunities, and foster team growth to achieve strong returns for investors.

Robert Le, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siltstone Capital, stated: “We are delighted to welcome Jim to our leadership team. His deep expertise in legal finance investment strategy, combined with his proven ability to build exceptional teams, positions Siltstone strongly as we launch our next fund. Jim’s arrival marks an exciting phase for our firm, enhancing our capacity to execute sophisticated investment strategies and deliver outstanding results for our investors.”

Jim commented, “I’m excited to join the Siltstone team and collaborate closely with Robert and the outstanding professionals at Siltstone Capital. Our combined expertise positions us exceptionally well to pursue compelling investment opportunities in the global legal finance market. I look forward to leading our investment strategy and contributing to the growth and success of an excellent team at Siltstone.”

For more information about Siltstone Capital and its investment strategies, visit https://siltstonecapital.com.

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New Express Legal Funding Portal and App Give Injury Plaintiffs Faster Access to Lawsuit Cash Advances

By John Freund |

The below is a sponsored post from Express Legal Funding.

Express Legal Funding, a leader in the pre-settlement funding industry, has officially launched the Express Legal Funding Portal and mobile app suite—now available on iOS, Android, and web. The innovative platform gives plaintiffs real-time access to their funding application status, document uploads, and direct case communication—all from a secure, user-friendly interface.

Since launch, the platform has already seen over 200 app installs across iOS and Android, reflecting strong early adoption and client demand for greater transparency, speed, and convenience in the legal funding process.

“This is the kind of digital leap our industry needed,” said Aaron Winston, Phd, Strategy Director at Express Legal Funding. “With the Express Legal Funding Portal, clients no longer have to wait days for updates or navigate confusing paperwork. Now they can check their status, send documents, and message us—all in one place, and on their own time, anytime 24,7. Ray Bivona, our Operations Manager, did a great job building out the platform.”

Meeting the Demand for Speed, Simplicity, and Security

The Express Legal Funding Portal and apps are designed to meet the evolving expectations of legal consumers, as reports indicate the industry has surpassed $1 billion in annual advances nationwide. Key features include:

  • Live Case Status Tracking: Monitor the full legal funding timeline in real time
  • Secure Document Uploads: Send attorney correspondence and case files instantly
  • In-App Messaging: Communicate directly with case managers—no long hold times or email delays
  • Push Notifications: Get instant alerts for updates, requests, and approvals
  • Funding Calculator: Estimate pre-settlement cash eligibility based on case type
  • Bank-Level Encryption: Ensures client privacy and legal compliance at every step

“Clients tell us this is the best communication experience they’ve had with a legal funding company,” said Shawn Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer at Express Legal Funding. “The high number of downloads in such a short time proves there’s a real demand for this kind of tool.”

Transforming the Legal Funding Experience for Plaintiffs and Attorneys

The Express Legal Funding Portal improves operational efficiency and transparency on both sides of the process:

  • For Plaintiffs: Offers peace of mind and greater control during a financially vulnerable time
  • For Attorneys: Reduces administrative back-and-forth, freeing up time to focus on litigation

About Express Legal Funding

Express Legal Funding is a trusted national provider of non-recourse pre-settlement funding, helping plaintiffs access fast, risk-free financial relief while their lawsuits move through the legal system. Repayment is only required if the client wins or settles their case.

The company has served thousands of injured plaintiffs in cases involving car accidents, slip and falls, product liability, and more.

What’s Coming Next

In addition to the current features, the platform aims to expand in the coming months with:

  • Attorney Dashboard: Real-time access for law firms to manage client funding
  • In-App Renewals: Easy follow-up funding requests for returning clients
  • Case Management Integrations: Compatibility with popular personal injury law firm software platforms like Clio, Filevine, and SmartAdvocate
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Litigation Funder Signal Peak Partners Launches in Texas

By John Freund |

Two leading litigation funders and former trial lawyers have joined forces and launched Signal Peak Partners, with a focus on commercial and patent litigation including domestic and international matters. Signal Peak offers customized litigation financing, private credit solutions, and monetization options to plaintiffs and their trial lawyers.

Signal Peak is led by co-founders and managing partners Lauren J. Harrison and Mani S. Walia. They have managed over $500 million in institutional capital, funded some of the largest judgments in the country, and practiced at preeminent law firms. From its network of trial lawyers, Signal Peak will source compelling cases to provide investors uncorrelated returns.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with the Signal Peak team for years,” said Jason Bertoldi, Global Team Leader for Litigation & Contingent Risk Insurance at Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. “They are a rare combination: elite trial lawyers and top-flight litigation funders with an unwavering commitment to delivering efficient and excellent results for their clients. Lauren and Mani are widely recognized as thought leaders, trusted partners, and expert advisors in the litigation finance industry. Signal Peak will be a tremendous asset for attorneys and plaintiffs.”

Ms. Harrison, recognized as one of Lawdragon’s “100 Global Leaders in Litigation Finance,” has over 25 years of civil litigation and litigation funding experience. She graduated magna cum laude from both Dartmouth College and Cornell Law School, where she was Articles Editor of the Cornell Law Review, and clerked for judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. She spent decades as a litigation partner at Vinson & Elkins and Jones Walker before focusing on litigation finance and serving as Vice President and Investment Counselor at Law Finance Group.

Mr. Walia has over 20 years of civil litigation and litigation funding experience. He graduated with honors from the University of Texas and with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was an editor of the Texas Law Review. He clerked for judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas before litigating at Susman Godfrey.

Mr. Walia previously founded the litigation finance group at the investment firm Siltstone Capital, where his work earned him Texas Lawbook’s award for Legal Innovation in 2022. Mr. Walia is a co-author of the sixth edition of ALM’s national treatise on litigation funding.

Signal Peak is honored that Hazoor Partners, the largest investor in Mr. Walia’s prior Siltstone fund, has chosen to be an anchor investor of Signal Peak. Prior to launching its first funding strategy, Signal Peak has secured commitments of over $40 million in investment capital, with a hard-cap final close of $125 million, along with a broad investment mandate.

Ms. Harrison said that Signal Peak “will distinguish ourselves as a funder of complex litigation and will empower trial lawyers and their clients through strategic funding.” She noted that Signal Peak takes its name from the highest natural point in Texas. “We aim to bring perspective and to help our partners achieve towering success.” Of Mr. Walia she said, “Mani is a visionary who saw this industry’s potential at an early stage, and he has profound leadership skills.”

Mr. Walia said, “It is a professional dream to partner with Lauren. She’s the person I admire most in the industry. I owe my approach to case selection to my mentor Stephen D. Susman, the country’s best trial lawyer over the last 50 years and the original litigation funder, and we continue his legacy of ensuring access to justice.”

Signal Peak’s management team includes experienced litigation fund specialists Jackson Schaap as Vice President of Finance and Carly Thompson-Peters as Director of Operations. Both were formerly with Siltstone Capital.

“Lauren and I are fortunate to have Jackson and Carly join us as founding members,” Mr. Walia said. “Jackson brings elite finance acumen to valuation and portfolio construction, and Carly, with her paralegal expertise, is the nerve center of our firm.”

Signal Peak’s investment committee includes a retired federal district court judge, one of the country’s leading litigation funding law professors, and the former head of Omni Bridgeway’s Houston office.

Signal Peak invites you to attend LitFinLive, its industry conference, on February 25-26, 2026, at The Post Oak Hotel in Houston.

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Beyond the Mastercard Dispute: Why Class Action Funding Needs a Structural Revolution

By Alberto Thomas |

The following is contributed by Alberto Thomas, co-founder and managing partner of Fideres Partners LLP, an economic consulting firm specializing in litigation-related services.

Innsworth Capital’s opposition to the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s fee award in the Mastercard settlement has dominated headlines, with the litigation funder arguing that inadequate compensation threatens the future of UK class actions. But this dispute misses the fundamental issue. The real threat to collective redress isn’t judicial attitudes toward fee awards—it’s the structural limitations of how litigation funding operates.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Without structural reform, the UK class action system risks permanent ineffectiveness, leaving millions of consumers without practical access to justice while allowing corporate wrongdoing to continue unchecked. The changes proposed here would dramatically increase the volume of viable class actions, reduce funding costs, and create a genuinely functional collective redress system. Failing to act now means perpetuating a dysfunctional market where only a tiny fraction of meritorious claims ever see the light of day.

Rather than debating whether courts provide adequate compensation to funders, we should ask: why does the success of the entire UK class action regime depend on the economics of individual cases? The current model represents a classic case of capital misallocation, where resources are inefficiently concentrated rather than distributed optimally across the market.

The Flawed Foundation of Current Funding

The current model forces funders to make large, concentrated investments in individual cases while hoping their due diligence can identify certain winners. This approach is fundamentally unsound, regardless of fee awards.

Diversification is essential, but it is often impossible due to capital limitations. The UK market remains fragmented, with small funds lacking sufficient capital for diversification. Many of these funds share common investors, further exacerbating concentration problems and reducing overall market capacity. Individual class actions require millions in upfront investment over the years, so most funds can finance only a handful of class action cases simultaneously. Funders spend vast resources attempting the impossible: predicting with certainty how complex legal proceedings will unfold.

This strategy fails because litigation outcomes depend on uncontrollable variables. The Merricks case illustrates this perfectly—despite being strong on allegations of anticompetitive conduct, Innsworth’s £45 million investment produced disappointing results. This isn’t a failure of due diligence but the inherent unpredictability of litigation.

The Mathematics of Portfolio Necessity

The solution lies in recognizing that litigation funding should operate like every other investment class: through diversified portfolios designed to achieve consistent returns across aggregate investments, not individual successes.

Successful venture capital funds expect most investments to fail, some to break even, and a small percentage to generate exceptional returns that compensate for losses. The mathematics work because diversification allows the law of large numbers to operate, reducing portfolio risk while maintaining attractive returns.

Litigation funding should follow identical principles, but this requires making tens or hundreds of investments across diverse cases, jurisdictions, and legal theories.

Market Structure as the Primary Constraint

This capital limitation creates a destructive cycle that no fee restructuring can resolve. Limited diversification forces funders to be extremely selective, reducing meritorious cases that receive backing. Meanwhile, defendants observe that only the most obvious cases receive funding, escaping accountability for misconduct below this artificially elevated threshold.

The Mastercard outcome exacerbates these dynamics not because of inadequate fee awards, but because it highlights the vulnerability of concentrated portfolios. When funders experience significant losses on promising investments, rational capital allocation demands that they either exit the market or require substantially higher returns to compensate for concentration risk.

Beyond Traditional Funding Models

Solving this challenge requires moving beyond incremental reforms toward fundamental structural change. The key insight involves separating litigation risk from funding through proven approaches that have already transformed other markets.

The optimal structure would place litigation risk—the possibility that cases fail entirely—in the After-the-Event (ATE) insurance market, where specialized insurers possess deep expertise in risk assessment, diversification, and pricing across large portfolios. A fully insured investment vehicle could then access capital through traditional financial markets: banking facilities, mutual funds, pension funds, and institutional investors.

This separation would transform the economics entirely, using methods already well-established in insurance and capital markets. Insurance companies could price litigation risk using actuarial methods across diversified books of business. Meanwhile, the funding vehicle—protected by comprehensive insurance—could attract liquidity from other investment channels, such as mutual funds and the financial sector, at attractive interest rates. This type of bifurcation of  risk  would likely shorten due diligence times, significantly increase the amount of litigation funding available while simultaneously reduce its cost.

Learning from Financial Evolution

This transformation would mirror the evolution witnessed in credit markets with the development of risk transfer mechanisms like credit default swaps in the 1990s. Prior to these, banks faced severe limitations because they had to hold credit risk on their balance sheets. Risk transfer mechanisms allowed separation of credit origination from risk bearing, dramatically expanding lending capacity.

The parallels to litigation funding are exact. Currently, funders must simultaneously assess legal merit, manage litigation risk, and provide capital—constraining both capacity and efficiency. Separating these functions would deliver identical efficiency gains.

European Market Opportunities

The emergence of collective action regimes across Europe presents a significant opportunity to address these diversification challenges. As markets develop in the Netherlands, Portugal, and potentially Spain, they create additional avenues for portfolio diversification.

Rather than viewing these regimes as facing identical constraints, we should recognize their potential contribution to risk mutualization. A larger, diversified pool of cases across multiple jurisdictions would enable the portfolio approach that current market fragmentation prevents.

Time for Transformation

What’s needed is recognition that effective collective redress requires sustainable funding models built on proper risk diversification rather than case-by-case selection. This requires applying established financial approaches that separate litigation risk from funding, enabling access to the vast capital pools necessary for portfolio-scale operations.

The time has come for bold innovation in UK litigation funding—bringing entrepreneurial spirit to what the City of London does best: creating imaginative solutions to complex financial problems. The City’s unrivalled expertise in structuring sophisticated financial products and insurance markets makes it perfectly positioned to develop these new models. Such innovation would not only transform access to justice but could create an entirely new growth sector within the UK’s service economy, establishing global leadership in a rapidly evolving field.

The transformation in litigation funding won’t come from courts awarding higher fees to disappointed funders. It will come from applying the same proven structural approaches that have successfully developed every other sophisticated investment market. The question isn’t whether this transformation will occur, but whether the UK will lead it or be forced to follow others who seize this opportunity first.

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Legal-Bay Pre Settlement Funding Announces Entry into Polinsky Sex Abuse Lawsuit Funding

By John Freund |

Legal Bay Presettlement Funding reports that over 50 plaintiffs have filed suit against San Diego County, alleging sexual abuse while minors at the Polinsky Children’s Center during the 90s and 2000s. Accusations also include being drugged and verbally abused by staff members, not to mention the years of trauma the victims have endured.

The lawsuits, announced during a press conference last Friday, were filed by survivors now coming forward as adults to seek justice and accountability. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs say the abuse occurred at a time when the children were placed at Polinsky for their safety and protection. Attorney Joseph Woodhall, who is representing many of the plaintiffs, encouraged other victims to come forward and start the journey toward healing.

The recent filings follow a wave of litigation from September 2024 when Los Angeles-based firm Slater Slater Schulman filed similar complaints on behalf of more than 100 former residents of the Polinsky Center.

Both firms are now collaborating to pursue justice and compensation for the growing number of clients who have come forward. Survivors or others with knowledge of abuse at the Polinsky Children’s Center are encouraged to contact the legal teams involved

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal Bay, says, “Legal Bay is tracking the development of these cases in California, unfortunately our research indicates a similar pattern of sexual abuse we have seen in other litigations throughout the country. Oftentimes the victims are so traumatized, it’s hard for them to get by financially month-to-month, and legal funding cash advances are a way to help them bridge the gap to a meaningful settlement. We will continue to aid victims of sex abuse claims, as well as pledge our support for the victims’ pursuit of their personal justice.”

If you’re the plaintiff in an existing lawsuit and need an immediate advance against your anticipated cash settlement award, you can apply HERE or call: 877.571.0405. If you were a victim of sexual abuse and need an attorney, Legal-Bay can also help you find legal representation. 

Legal-Bay lawsuit funding remains vigilant in helping clients who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Additionally, any new clients that have an existing lawsuit and need cash now can apply for regular settlement funding to help them get through their own crises. Legal-Bay funds all types of loan on lawsuit programs including personal injury, slips and falls, car accident lawsuit, medical malpractice, dog bites, and more.

Legal-Bay is one of the best lawsuit funding companies when it comes to providing immediate cash in advance of a plaintiff’s anticipated monetary award. The non-recourse legal funding—sometimes referred to as loans on lawsuit or loans on lawsuits—are risk-free, as the money doesn’t need to be repaid should the recipient lose their case. Therefore, the lawsuit funding isn’t really a loan, but rather a cash advance.

To apply right now, please visit the company’s website HERE or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by.

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Mayfair Legal Funding Offers Financial Support to Plaintiffs in Hernia Mesh Litigation

By John Freund |

As hernia mesh lawsuits continue to progress against major medical device manufacturers, Mayfair Legal Funding is stepping forward with financial solutions to support plaintiffs awaiting settlements. As a trusted provider of pre-settlement funding, Mayfair is committed to helping victims of defective hernia mesh implants manage their financial needs while pursuing justice.

Hernia Mesh Lawsuits and Manufacturer Liability

Hernia mesh implants, designed to provide long-term repair for hernias, have been linked to severe complications such as chronic pain, infections, adhesion, and organ perforation. Many affected individuals have filed lawsuits against manufacturers like C.R. Bard, Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary), and Medtronic, alleging that their mesh products were defectively designed and failed to provide the promised benefits.

The legal process for these cases is extensive, with thousands of plaintiffs waiting for settlements. A significant development occurred in October 2024 when C.R. Bard reached a settlement agreement involving approximately 38,000 lawsuits, though financial relief for many plaintiffs is still pending. As litigation continues, Mayfair Legal Funding is ensuring that victims are not forced into premature settlements due to financial strain.

Providing Relief During Lengthy Legal Proceedings

Hernia mesh complications can result in multiple surgeries, chronic pain, infections, and organ damage, significantly affecting victims’ quality of life. However, proving liability in court is a complex process that can extend for years. Manufacturers and their insurers frequently employ delaying tactics, making it difficult for plaintiffs to maintain financial stability while waiting for a fair settlement.

Many individuals who file lawsuits cannot work due to their medical conditions, yet they must continue paying for essential needs, ongoing healthcare, and legal costs. The prolonged nature of these lawsuits means that victims are often financially pressured to settle prematurely, even if their case could result in higher compensation with more time.

Why Legal Funding Matters

The pressure to settle early for a lower amount is common in hernia mesh litigation. Insurance companies and medical device manufacturers often attempt to delay proceedings, making it difficult for plaintiffs to maintain financial stability. Lawsuit loans allow plaintiffs to access a portion of their expected settlement upfront, helping cover urgent expenses such as medical treatments, rent, utilities, and other living costs. This financial support ensures that plaintiffs are not forced into disadvantageous settlements due to economic pressure.

Eligibility and Application Process

Plaintiffs who have filed a hernia mesh lawsuit and are represented by an attorney may be eligible for funding. Mayfair Legal Funding works closely with law firms handling hernia mesh cases to ensure that plaintiffs can access financial assistance without delays.

About Mayfair Legal Funding

Mayfair Legal Funding is a trusted provider of pre-settlement funding, helping plaintiffs in medical device lawsuits, including hernia mesh cases, stay financially stable while awaiting settlements. With a risk-free, non-recourse funding model, plaintiffs only repay if they win their case. Mayfair ensures fast approvals, access to funds within 24 hours, and no credit checks. To date, the company has provided $45 million in funding with a 94% approval rate.

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Deminor Raises EUR 100 Million to Support Global Growth

By John Freund |

Deminor, a leading global litigation funder, is pleased to announce the successful completion of a EUR 100 million funding round. The proceeds will be used to support the continued expansion of Deminor’s litigation portfolio across its three core regions: Continental Europe, the UK and Asia.

Next to this major funding milestone, Deminor has also achieved the “Certified B Corporation™” status, becoming the first litigation funder outside the US to do so. This certification highlights the company’s commitment to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

  1. Over the past few years, Deminor has significantly diversified its portfolio in terms of both claim types and geographic reach. Originally focused on securities actions for investors in Continental Europe, Deminor now finances a broad range of claims, including competition and antitrust cases, collective consumer actions and commercial litigation/arbitration throughout its three core regions: Continental Europe, the UK and Asia.

The firm currently funds 47 active cases and has funded a total of 85 cases across 23 jurisdictions. Notably, 78.8% of all concluded cases have resulted in positive outcomes for clients—reflecting Deminor’s disciplined case selection and prudent risk management approach.

Deminor also leverages a proprietary digital platform to deliver technology-driven solutions for managing mass claims in areas such as securities, antitrust, and consumer law.

  1. The latest investment round of EUR 100 million, comprising equity, senior and junior debt, and asset-backed financing, includes participation from a diverse group of investors. These include Contingency Capital LLC (New York), which provided a EUR 72 million (USD 80 million) secured credit facility to the company, alongside finance&invest.brussels SA (backed by the Brussels regional government and local financial institutions), Stalusa (a Belgian family office), and Saffelberg Investments (a Belgian private equity firm). Existing shareholders, including Deminor’s management team, also participated in the round.

Despite challenging market conditions and regulatory uncertainty in 2023 and 2024, the legal finance sector remains resilient and is expected to record strong growth in 2025 and beyond. Key drivers include growing market awareness, restricted corporate credit access, and a rising number of collective actions by both businesses and consumers.

  1. As the first litigation funder outside the USA to achieve B Corp certification, Deminor reaffirms its mission as a value-driven organization. High ethical standards have always guided its investment strategy, and the firm is proud to support claimants who might otherwise lack access to justice. Deminor believes this approach promotes a more balanced legal landscape and contributes to a fairer economy and society.

About Deminor: 

Founded in 1990, Deminor is a Band 1 Chambers & Partners international litigation funder with offices in Brussels, London, Hamburg, New York, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Stockholm and Luxembourg. Deminor’s name, derived from the French ‘défense des minoritaires’, reflects its origins in providing services to minority shareholders. Deminor is still very much defined by the pursuit of good causes and its determination to restore justice for clients. 

Combining skill sets from 19 different nationalities and 22 languages, Deminor has actively supported cases in 23 different jurisdictions, including the Americas, the Middle East and offshore centres such as the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. 

In addition to funding one-to-one commercial claims, Deminor originates, syndicates and funds group actions. In 2018, Deminor was instrumental in securing the two largest securities settlements in Europe (EUR 1.4 bn in the Steinhoff case and EUR 1.3 bn in Fortis/Ageas).

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Legora Attracts $80 Million Series B Funding

By John Freund |

Today, Legora announces an $80 million funding round led by ICONIQ and General Catalyst, with continued support from existing investors Redpoint Ventures, Benchmark, and Y Combinator. This latest round is a strong endorsement of Legora’s product quality, velocity and the remarkable traction it has achieved globally—underscored by its rapid progression from inception to Series B in under two years.

The deal comes as adoption of legal AI surges across the world. Legora is at the forefront of this shift – with lawyers across 250 firms and legal teams in 20 markets globally making daily use of its platform to review and research with precision, draft smarter, and collaborate seamlessly.

Legora operates out of New York, London, and Stockholm, with 100 employees drawn from some of the world’s leading global law firms and tech companies.

Max Junestrand, CEO and founder of Legora said: “The investment is a clear validation of the value our product is delivering to lawyers around the world. While we weren’t actively seeking funding, the strength of our growth, product, and client partnerships naturally attracted this backing, and I am ecstatic to have ICONIQ and General Catalyst with us on the journey as Seth and Jeannette join our board.

“This enables us to double down on what’s always set Legora apart — deep collaboration with our clients — and to scale innovation and accelerate product development, ensuring we leverage rapidly changing technology to meet the needs of the legal profession. We’re committed to building a product that not only solves today’s challenges but continues to adapt and deliver long-term value.”

Seth Pierrepont, General Partner at ICONIQ commented: “From our first conversation with Max and Sigge, it was immediately evident to us that they are building with rare clarity and velocity, creating a platform that doesn’t just fit into legal workflows — it elevates them, and understands the nuance and pace of modern legal teams. In just two years, they’ve delivered an enterprise-grade product that’s already trusted by hundreds of law firms and in-house legal teams globally. We’re proud to partner with Legora as they scale what we believe is a category-defining platform that’s reshaping how legal work gets done.”

Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, Managing Director and Head of Europe at General Catalyst said: “Legora is driving AI transformations in a highly specialized industry. With an outstanding product, rapid adoption by top-tier firms, and a founder who combines rare product instinct with exceptional execution, as we see it, Legora is redefining how legal work gets done. We’re excited to support Max and the team as they scale this category-defining platform.”

Legora’s collaborative approach to developing and embedding its AI underpins its success to date. More than just a platform, Legora is a true partner to clients, working alongside them from the first interaction to company-wide rollout and beyond. This ensures Legora’s solution is intuitively matched to client needs, and that engagement is broad and deep from day one; with the technology embraced by junior lawyers right up to managing partners across enterprises.

By building with lawyers, not just for them, Legora has accelerated adoption and delivered immediate value. Its AI platform is making a measurable impact at top law firms and in-house teams, powering multiple work-critical use cases and helping teams get to the heart of key issues in hours rather than days — enabling improved and more confident client responses with less write-offs.

Mary O’Carroll, Goodwin’s Chief Operating Officer commented: “Legora represents exactly the kind of strategic technology investment that keeps Goodwin at the forefront of legal excellence. We’ve been very pleased with the initial results we have seen since partnering with them in March, and we look forward to continuous improvement in how our lawyers use Legora to deliver legal services and insights to clients.”

Max Junestrand added: “AI, simply put, is a historic opportunity for legal professionals to get real leverage on their expertise and know-how. We have observed tasks such as reviewing data-rooms go from weeks to hours with no loss in accuracy – making human-machine intelligence and collaboration the de facto way of working. Both law firms and legal teams are already reaping the benefits of these advancements at scale.”

About Legora

Legora is the world’s first truly collaborative AI for lawyers serving over 250 law firms and in-house legal teams across 20 countries. Co-founded by CEO Max Junestrand and CTO Sigge Labor, Legora now has offices in New York, Stockholm and London and has raised $120M in funding to date. Legora works with prestigious clients such as Cleary Gottlieb, Goodwin and Bird & Bird – helping lawyers review, draft and work more effectively with AI. Legora.com

About ICONIQ

ICONIQ is a global investment firm catalyzing opportunity through extraordinary community. Our venture and growth investment platform partners with visionaries defining the future of their industries to achieve uncommon outcomes. Drawing on the wisdom and connectivity of our extraordinary community, we support our portfolio companies’ success at every inflection point, from early traction to IPO and beyond. Our robust portfolio includes Adyen, Airbnb, Alibaba, Alteryx, Automattic, BambooHR, Braze, Chime, Collibra, Coupa, Datadog, Docusign, Gitlab, Marqeta, Miro, Procore, Red Ventures, Relativity, ServiceTitan, Snowflake, Sprinklr, Truckstop, Uber, Wolt, and Zoom, among others. For more information, please visit www.iconiqcapital.com/growth.

About General Catalyst

General Catalyst is a global investment and transformation company that partners with the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs to drive resilience and applied AI.

We support founders with a long-term view who challenge the status quo, partnering with them from seed to growth stage and beyond.

With offices in San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Berlin, Bangalore, and London, we have supported the growth of 800+ businesses, including Airbnb, Anduril, Applied Intuition, Commure, Glean, Guild, Gusto, Helsing, Hubspot, Kayak, Livongo, Mistral, Ramp, Samsara, Snap, Stripe, Sword, and Zepto.

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SIM IP Provides Funding and Strategic Advisory Services to Gene Pool to Drive Global Intellectual Property Monetization

By John Freund |

Sauvegarder Investment Management, Inc (“SIM IP”), a Miami-based firm focused on intellectual property-based financing, investment, and monetization, today announced it has entered into a funding and strategic advisory agreement with Gene Pool Technologies.

Gene Pool Technologies (“Gene Pool”) focuses on the development, aggregation, and licensing of advanced extraction and processing technologies, with a particular emphasis on solutions applicable to the cannabis and hemp industries. Gene Pool’s intellectual property portfolio broadly covers innovations in plant extraction methods, equipment, and systems that enhance quality, safety, and efficiency for producers and manufacturers.

“We believe that Gene Pool brings a disciplined, technology-focused process to intellectual property licensing that aligns with SIM IP’s commitment to efficient and transparent value creation,” said Jennifer Burdman, Managing Director at SIM IP. “We look forward to collaborating to provide inventors with stronger protection and improved monetization opportunities, while offering industry participants with streamlined access to critical technologies through clear and equitable licensing terms.”

Erich Spangenberg, CEO of SIM IP, commented, “Gene Pool is leveraging two key services provided by SIM IP, which includes capital support through a corporate investment and unparalleled, strategic advisory expertise. Gene Pool strategically chose to leverage our capital for both litigation and the anticipated acquisition of additional intellectual property, as well as our extensive expertise in global intellectual property monetization to support execution and business strategy.”

Gene Pool partners with innovators and technology owners to ensure their innovations are protected, compensated, and accessible to operators through operator-friendly, non-exclusive licensing agreements. Gene Pool’s licensable portfolio includes  over fifty patent assets, with approximately half owned by Gene Pool and the rest being in-licensed from key market innovators.

“Gene Pool was seeking a strategic partner capable of providing capital and supporting the execution of our intellectual property monetization strategy across multiple jurisdictions, including the U.S. and Europe. We’re pleased to have identified SIM IP as a partner and to have formalized our collaboration,” said Travis Steffen, CEO of Gene Pool. “We met with numerous litigation funding firms; however, only SIM IP demonstrated strategic advisory service capabilities and meaningful experience in global enforcement strategies.”

Over the last few years, Gene Pool secured significant legal victories against companies in the cannabis and hemp industries including defending key patent claims in three inter partes review proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; defeating invalidity, non-infringement, and illegality challenges against these claims in U.S. District Court; and most recently obtaining summary judgment from the same court that the Defendants infringed these claims.

About SIM IP
Sauvegarder Investment Management, Inc. (“SIM IP”) is a Miami-based firm focused on intellectual property-based financing, investment and monetization opportunities. SIM IP invests across IP as an asset class and across jurisdictions, primarily focusing on the US, Europe, and Asia. Further information is available at www.simip.io. Follow us on LinkedInX (Twitter), and Instagram

About Gene Pool Technologies
At Gene Pool Technologies, we believe in industry solutions that recognize inventors, incentivize ongoing R&D, and enable operating companies with seamless access to technologies that will be critical to the long-term success of the Cannabis industry. Our team brings decades of experience across Cannabis and intellectual property and is deeply committed to the success of the industry and the innovation that will continue to drive quality, safety, and efficiency.

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Legal Bay Presettlement Funding Offers Comprehensive Guideline for Funding Contracts to Avoid

By John Freund |

As the lawsuit funding industry continues to grow, Legal-Bay Lawsuit Settlement Funding is issuing a public advisory to plaintiffs navigating the complex and often underregulated pre-settlement loan landscape. The company urges consumers to remain vigilant against deceptive contract practices and highlights its own commitment to transparency, fairness, and ethical funding solutions.

While pre-settlement funding can offer critical financial relief during lengthy legal battles, Legal-Bay warns that not all funding companies operate ethically. In particular, the firm is cautioning plaintiffs to avoid contracts that include compounding pricing models, hidden fees, and vague language, common tactics used by unscrupulous funders.  Legal-Bay also offers refinancing’s in event you have a large legal funding lien with a bad compounding rate and want cheaper pricing.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal Bay, says, “Too often we see plaintiffs fall victim to exploitative funding agreements that leave them owing far more than they borrowed, especially after years of compounding costs buried in the fine print. Many of these contracts are intentionally confusing, designed to mislead consumers. At Legal-Bay, we offer refinancing options on large funding buyouts, by converting your existing compounding lien into a flat pricing lien – no different than a home mortgage refi.”

If you are involved in any active litigation and would like to discuss how to get a cash advance from your anticipated lawsuit settlement, please visit the company’s website HERE or call 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to hear about your specific case.  

Legal-Bay outlines several red flags that plaintiffs should watch out for when considering a pre-settlement advance:

  • Compounding interest without clear repayment terms: Some funders fail to disclose how much a plaintiff will owe over time, resulting in balances that balloon dramatically after two or three years.
  • Vague or misleading contract language: Important terms are often hidden in fine print or presented in confusing legal jargon.
  • Discouraging attorney involvement: Ethical funders will encourage plaintiffs to review all funding agreements with their attorneys instead of trying to edge them out of the discussion.
  • Lack of disclosure about maximum repayment: Some contracts leave plaintiffs uncertain about how much will ultimately be deducted from their settlement.

In contrast, Legal-Bay’s approach is rooted in transparency, fairness, and full attorney cooperation. All of their contracts are structured to include straightforward terms, capped repayment amounts, and no compounding interest. Plaintiffs and their attorneys are given full access to review and understand the terms before any funding is finalized.

Legal-Bay’s dedication to ethical funding has made it a trusted name in loan on lawsuit funding for plaintiffs in personal injury, sexual abuse, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, dog bite, commercial litigation, and many more.

Legal-Bay’s lawsuit funding programs are designed to provide immediate cash in advance of a plaintiff’s anticipated monetary award. While it’s common to refer to these legal funding requests as loans on lawsuit or settlement loans, legal funding isn’t like a loan at all. Because the funds are non-recourse, there’s no risk since there is no obligation to repay the money if the recipient loses their case.

To apply right now for a loan settlement program, please visit the company’s website HERE or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to answer any questions.

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LFJ Podcast: Richard Culberson, CEO, Moneypenny

By John Freund |

In this episode, Richard Culberson, the CEO of Moneypenny, discuses how technology is redefining communications and the client experience within the litigation funding and broader legal services industries.

In this podcast, Richard highlights:

  1. Balancing innovation with professionalism when it comes to the human connection that clients demand
  2. How to implement secure digital communication tools to ensure that AI-enabled client insights maintain robust security
  3. One technology that most firms still overlook but has the potential to become a major differentiator in client experience
  4. Practical first steps for firms that wants to future-proof their communication strategies without overwhelming their internal teams.

Plus much more! Check out the full video below:

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Theo Ai Secures 4.2MM Seed Round to Advance AI-Powered Settlement Prediction for Big Law

By John Freund |

Theo Ai, the AI-driven prediction platform for litigation, has raised a $4.2 million seed round just six months after its $2.2 million pre-seed announcement in November. The round was co-led by returning investor NextView Ventures and new investor Collide Capital. As part of the investment, Aaron Samuels, General Partner at Collide Capital, will join Theo Ai’s board. The funds will be used to expand proprietary data pipelines, enhance legal corpus, and reinforce supervised learning with legal experts.

“The legal industry is at a turning point, and AI-powered predictions are becoming essential for managing client expectations and executive decision-making,” said Patrick Ip, Co-founder and CEO of Theo Ai. “With this investment, we will continue to develop the infrastructure that makes settlement predictions more precise and valuable for law firms and corporate legal teams.”

Theo Ai will use the new capital to accelerate product development, focusing on its AI-powered settlement prediction tools tailored for Big Law firms and General Counsels. The company is committed to building firm-specific prediction engines that leverage case history and proprietary data to provide actionable insights across a wider array of legal scenarios.

“The leadership team within Theo Ai continues to demonstrate a deep understanding of customer needs and the way advanced technology can reshape the legal field for decades to come” said Co-Founder and Partner at NextView, Rob Go. “this round came together very quickly because customers are quickly adopting what they see as a uniquely valuable solution.”

“Theo Ai is transforming the way legal teams predict and manage settlements, and we are excited to back their next phase of growth,” said Aaron Samuels. “Having crossed paths with Patrick early in our respective founder journeys, it’s incredible to now collaborate in building the future of AI-driven legal intelligence.”

The funding round also marks a significant expansion of Theo Ai’s leadership team with the appointment of Jay Mandal as Chief Product Officer. A Stanford Law Lecturer and former COO at SAP, Mandal brings deep expertise in AI, enterprise technology, and legal innovation. He previously was the head M&A attorney at Apple and founded a legal tech company acquired by Rocket Lawyer. The company also welcomed Rob Martorana as Head of Partnerships. A former attorney with over 25 years in legal sales and marketing, including 12 years in litigation finance, Rob brings deep expertise across portfolio, single-case, and corporate monetization strategies. He most recently founded REMO Litigation Finance and served as SVP at Burford Capital.

Theo Ai’s seed round saw participation from all pre-seed investors, including nvp capital, Ripple Ventures, and Beat Ventures. The round also welcomed new investors Four Acres Capital and a distinguished group of angel investors from across legal, finance, and technology:

  • David Fox (Kirkland & Ellis)
  • Bo Berluti (RTP Global)
  • Ramesh Dhanaraj (ex-Fortress Investment Group)
  • Vivek Nasta (ex-Thomson Reuters)
  • Akash Garg (ex-Uber)
  • Art Calcagnini (ex-UBS)

Theo Ai initially launched by helping litigation funders optimize their investment decisions – recently partnering with Mustang Litigation Funding – and has rapidly expanded into serving Big Law and in-house legal teams. The strong market demand led to an oversubscribed seed round, reinforcing confidence in Theo Ai’s technology and vision.

With this latest funding, Theo Ai is poised to drive the future of AI-powered legal decision-making, delivering cutting-edge predictive solutions for the legal industry.

To learn more and join the waitlist for Theo Ai, visit: Theo Ai

About Theo Ai

Theo Ai is the first predictive engine designed by technical and legal professionals to forecast the outcome of legal disputes. Its AI models are trained on historical case data and incorporate real-time analytics with predictive modeling to deliver accurate and actionable insights. Theo Ai is meeting the most critical need for legal professionals – offering accurate case outcome predictions, backed by data. To learn more and join the waitlist for Theo Ai, visit: https://theoai.ai/#product

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