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Moneypenny and VoiceNation Launch Intake Services to support new business drives for US legal firms

By John Freund |

Moneypenny and VoiceNation have an excellent service offering to help legal clients drive new business by responding quickly to new inquiries on their behalf.

The service means that VoiceNation’s team of professional US-based call handlers will help improve the conversion rate of new inquiries, by responding to them quickly on the phone, and qualifying them by asking a series of screening questions provided by, and tailored to, the client. As a result, legal firms’ own teams can focus on converting qualified leads, saving their teams time and effort.

VoiceNation’s highly trained professional call handlers know the importance of making a good first impression and the new Intake Service is backed by full CRM and Zapier integration.

How it Works

  • When a new completed web form arrives at a client’s CRM, this alerts VoiceNation’s OpenAnswer platform
  • OpenAnswer immediately flags to a VoiceNation agent about the lead
  • Using the completed web form details, the lead is qualified by phone, or any other required channel
  • All information requested by the client is then fed back into the client’s CRM for immediate conversion
  • The service integrates with all CRM platforms and contracts can be completed via Docusign

Eric Schurke, VP of Moneypenny and  VoiceNation said: ‘This service enables legal companies to respond to new leads before their competitors do. We’re doing the heavy lifting of sifting through new opportunities, efficiently and cost-effectively, by qualifying new leads, so in-house sales teams can then convert hot leads faster.  Our clients should see benefits of the new service really quickly, achieving faster new business growth.’ 

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Key Takeaways from LFJ’s Virtual Town Hall: Spotlight on Australia

By John Freund |

On Wednesday October 16th (Thursday the 17th, in Australia), LFJ hosted a virtual town hall titled ‘Spotlight on Australia.’ The event featured Michelle Silvers (MS), CEO at Court House Capital, Stuart Price (SP), CEO and Managing Director of CASL, Maurice Thompson (MT), Global Head of Litigation Funding at HFW, and Jason Geisker (JG), Head of Claims Funding Australia. The event was moderated by Ed Truant, Founder of Slingshot Capital.

Unfortunately, Jason Geisker was unable to join the panel due to technical difficulties. However, the other three panelists covered a broad range of topics relating to litigation funding in Australia. Below are key takeaways from the event:

ET: Australia is a pioneer in the use of litigation finance. Can you provide an overview of the Australian market?

MS: Australia has been involved in litigation funding for over 20 years, since the late 1990s. At the moment it’s an interesting environment, we have listed and private funders, hedge funds, law firms and private insurers. Our market is dominated by litigation funders, not necessarily alternative capital sources, which is what tends to happen overseas. We’ve witnessed the market globalizing with offshore funders entering, and local funders expanding abroad, but a lot of the offshore funders have withdrawn from the market in recent years.

The market is small – Australia’s population is 25-28 million, so you can imagine that the way we operate here is quite different than overseas. We have about 10 players operating in the Australian market at the moment. Our environment is quite different than overseas, it’s smaller and well-knit. We all know each other quite well, we compete for the same cases. It’s fierce competition, and an exciting environment.

ET: In terms of return profile, I ‘ve been privy to a lot of litigation finance resolutions on a global basis, and in my review of the data, it strikes me that Australian funders are some of the best in terms of producing consistent returns, albeit the quantum of financing is a little bit smaller than what you might find in the US. Generally speaking, do you agree with that? And to what would you attribute the performance of Australian funders?

SP: I attribute that to the predictability of outcomes, and that really comes from the jurisdiction being established for a long time. Some of the growing pains that other jurisdictions are having, are dealing with new issues and new laws. Most of our bench that deals with litigation funding and new actions, they were senior and junior lawyers, partners, barristers, and now have become judges. So there is an ingrained knowledge of the system, and an appreciation of the importance of litigation funding to provide access to justice.

That in itself also goes with the Australian civil justice system, which is an absolute Rolls Royce. It is gold-plated, it is costly, so you need to be able to navigate that in a way where duration risk doesn’t become an issue to you. So when you talk about performance, I absolutely agree Australia is up there as one of the better performing markets in the world. We select our cases well and we settle cases before trial (about 95% of cases settle before trial – that brings duration risk down). That combination of factors are all a reflection of the 25 years-plus of existing in this market.

ET: Up until recently, outside of the class action space, lawyers have not been able to engage in contingent fee arrangements, but jurisdictions like Victoria have changed this dynamic. Can you discuss the current state of contingent fee arrangements and its likely trajectory, and the implications for the litigation funding market?

MT: Everything Stuart mentioned about this being an isolated part of the world, and the impacts that has on doing business here, is absolutely correct. A flip on that though, is that degree of isolation that we’ve had as a nation has always had us looking closely outside of our borders. So we observe what’s happening in other parts of the world and that influences how we think.

Some of the comments you’ve heard might suggest that we’re a slightly immature legal market, in the sense that politics have impacted the courts and there has been some degree of uncertainty since 2020. But I’d flip that and say that this is a case of us looking hard at what we need moving forward and what will suit Australia. The largest differential between us and the United States, for instance, is that we never want to see a situation in Australia where the overweight child might sue the fast food chain because some lawyer provides contingent fee arrangements, all those sorts of things. We’ve laughed at that scenario overseas, and we don’t want that here. So the whole idea of contingent fees stirs up all sorts of feelings in our legal environment, and in having to deal with those negative perceptions, we have to think very carefully about how we structure things moving forward.

In the period between 2020 and now, there’s been a proliferation of class actions in Victoria to take advantage of the contingent fee arrangements. Not all law firms have done that – my law firm, for instance, we’re running three large plaintiff class actions at the moment, we’ve got a few others in the pipeline. We’re currently not fixated on Victoria, because among other things, the way it’s been dealt with – generally if you want to take full advantage of a contingent arrangement sanction by the court and legislation, you have to bear all the risk of the costs and a security for costs order against the law firm. And most law firms won’t stomach that at all (because this is so new). But other law firms see this as an opportunity – particularly large national firms like Maurice Blackburn for instance. Large firms like that will take advantage because they can finance the risk. If I’m going to sell that to my partners in London, Asia or elsewhere, it’s a different proposition.

So we are inching closer to a wider opportunity for law firms to take on contingent risk, but we’re not there yet. I don’t think it’s going to be the free for all that people have been concerned about. That’s not to say there hasn’t been class actions flooding into Victoria as opposed to other states, but I think that will slow down. And so a firm like us is looking beyond the Victoria borders.

To view the entire 1-hour discussion, please click here.

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Nera Capital Expands European Presence with Strategic Move to Amsterdam  

By John Freund |

Top legal finance firm, Nera Capital, is expanding its presence in Holland by opening a new office in Amsterdam, due to its involvement in several high-profile legal claims in the WAMCA. 

The strategic move into innovative and renowned offices in the prestigious Zuidas district is largely driven by significant legal actions that will proceed through the Holland court system.

In January 2020 the Netherlands introduced a new piece of legislation known as the Wet Afwikkeling Massaschade in Collectieve Actie (WAMCA) which translates to the Settlement of Mass Damages in Collective Action Act.

It allows for collective legal actions, enabling multiple claimants to combine similar cases into a single lawsuit, and is a key factor in Nera Capital’s decision to increase its presence in the region.

Firm Director, Aisling Byrne, explained that this approach not only streamlines the legal process but also increases the efficiency and impact of group claims. 

Ms Byrne added: “For Nera Capital, this system means a more robust and coordinated effort in legal pursuits, ensuring clients benefit from a comprehensive and streamlined legal strategy.

“Our expansion into Amsterdam reinforces Nera Capital’s desire to establish a stronger foothold in a key European financial and legal hub, positioning us at the centre of key industry developments and opportunities. 

“Leveraging our cutting-edge technology and embracing legal frameworks like the WAMCA reflects Nera’s dedication to ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the industry.

“The move marks more than just a new office – it’s another strategic step in our expansion, giving us the platform we need to further scale our operations and continue delivering top-tier service for our clients and partners.”

The change comes at a fruitful time for the legal funder, which is undergoing a period of heavy growth.

In recent months Nera Capital has continued to build its success through acquiring positions in a number of cartel and anti-trust claims in various jurisdictions, including the USA whilst also onboarding several new prominent funding partners. 

Reflecting on Nera’s recent success, Ms. Byrne noted that the expansion into Amsterdam aligns with the company’s core priorities of fostering collaboration and expanding strategic networks.

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Community Spotlight: Viren Mascarenhas, Partner, Milbank

By John Freund |

Viren is a Partner in Milbank’s New York office where he leads the international arbitration practice in the US.  He specializes in international arbitration (construction, commercial, and investment arbitration) as well as enforcement of awards and judgments in U.S. courts. 

He has nearly two decades of experience acting as counsel for parties in a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on energy and mining disputes. His investment treaty experience includes representing investors in disputes against Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bolivia, Ecuador, India, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Timor-Leste, Uruguay, and Venezuela.  He has advised litigation funders on whether to underwrite prospective matters and also obtained litigation funding for his clients.  He sits as arbitrator in commercial arbitrations and teaches international arbitration at Columbia Law School. 

Viren has been recognized for his accomplishments in international arbitration by Chambers GlobalChambers USALegal 500Who’s Who Legal: ArbitrationThe Best Lawyers in America:  International ArbitrationEuromoney (commercial arbitration), Latinvex (disputes in Latin America), Law360 (energy disputes), Lawdragon (500 Leading Global Litigators, 2021, 2023, 2024), The New York Law JournalCrain’s Business New York,The LGBT Bar Association, the South Asian Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.  His client reviews in Chambers include, “Viren is talented, smart, and quick on his feet.  He is a lawyer you want in your corner”; “His attention to detail and commitment made him stand out – he was always thinking of next steps and briefing us often”; “Viren is bright, capable and a really strong advocate.”  Legal 500 identified Milbank as one of three firms to watch in the international arbitration space, noting, “Milbank continues to grow its profile in international arbitration since the late 2022 arrival of Viren Mascarenhas.  The team is particularly noted for its activity in the energy and infrastructure areas.”

Company Name and Description:  Milbank LLP is an international law firm headquartered in New York with offices in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Beijing, London, Frankfurt, Munich, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Seoul, and Singapore.  Chambers USA ranks Milbank in Band 1 for a range of practices, including Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Capital Markets, Metals & Mining, Projects, and Transportation.

Company Website: www.milbank.com

Year Founded:  1866.  Company rebranded to Milbank in 2019.

Headquarters:  New York

Area of Focus: Milbank is a full services international law firm.  Viren is a member of the Litigation & Arbitration Practice Group.

Member Quote:  “Litigation funders want lawyers who can chart a course of action from filing a claim to collecting on the award/judgment, and then engage with the wide variety of players involved (client, opposing counsel, co-counsel, witnesses, experts, investigators, the adjudicators, and the funders themselves!) to make it happen.”

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Westbrooke Associates Expands into The Litigation Funding Sector

By John Freund |

Westbrooke Associates announces its expansion into the burgeoning litigation funding sector, marking a new chapter in its legacy of connecting investors with high-growth, socially impactful opportunities.

As a brokerage known for identifying innovative investment vehicles, Westbrooke Associates is now expanding into litigation funding, a niche asset class that has seen rapid growth in the UK and globally. Litigation funding provides financial backing to individuals and small businesses that would otherwise be unable to afford legal representation. This growing financial tool has proven essential in levelling the playing field in the legal system, enabling claimants to pursue justice against larger, well-funded opponents.

With rising litigation costs and increasingly complex cases, the demand for litigation funding has surged, particularly in markets such as the UK, which boasts one of the most advanced regulatory environments for this asset class. The global litigation funding market is experiencing extraordinary growth, with revenues projected to reach $43 billion by 2033, up from $17.1 billion in 2023.

As one of the most compelling alternative investment opportunities today, litigation funding offers investors a low-risk, high-return asset class that remains largely uncorrelated with traditional financial markets. This makes it an attractive option for portfolio diversification, especially during times of market volatility.

A report by Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP highlights that the top 15 litigation funders in the UK saw assets grow to a record £2.2 billion in 2020/21, an 11% increase from the previous year. With such exponential growth, Westbrooke Associates is poised to help investors capitalise on the robust potential of this asset class.

Westbrooke Associates’ expertise in sourcing profitable investments that align with strong ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) standards makes this a natural step forward. The firm has already established a successful collaboration with Addlington-West Legal Limited, offering investors access to litigation funding opportunities that prioritise both financial returns and social impact.

Litigation funding not only delivers strong returns but also plays a pivotal role in supporting justice. Westbrooke’s unique investment model ensures a rigorous due diligence process, with cases thoroughly vetted to back only those with strong chances of success. Investors benefit from fixed returns—typically generated within 18 months—while also supporting businesses that face significant financial barriers due to litigation costs.

Moreover, Westbrooke Associates’ commitment to protecting investor capital is evident via the surety bond offered by Addlington-West Legal. This guarantees 100% capital protection in the event of unsuccessful claims, ensuring investor security and peace of mind. This level of risk mitigation, combined with relevant regulatory compliance, makes litigation funding a particularly attractive opportunity for Westbrooke Associates’ clients.

For investors seeking a safe, high-potential asset class, litigation funding through Westbrooke Associates represents an ideal investment opportunity. The firm’s longstanding reputation for identifying forward-thinking ventures is further bolstered by this new foray into the litigation funding space. Westbrooke Associates continues to demonstrate its ability to deliver innovative and socially responsible investment opportunities that align with the evolving needs of its investor base.

As the litigation funding market continues to grow, Westbrooke Associates is at the forefront of offering investors access to this dynamic and impactful sector. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or looking to diversify your portfolio, Westbrooke Associates ensures that every investment opportunity provides both profitability and a positive societal impact.

For more information about how to invest in litigation funding through Westbrooke Associates or to request the Investment Memorandum, please visit www.westbrookeassociates.com or call 0203 745 0294.

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FiDeAL® Announces a Strategic Partnership with Outmatch to Strengthen Litigation Finance Consulting Services and Expand Operations in France

By John Freund |

Treviso – FiDeAL®, a leader in litigation finance consulting, is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Outmatch, a renowned French financial boutique specializing in M&A operations and in legal disputes resolution.

This collaboration marks a significant step in further strengthening FiDeAL’s litigation finance consulting services and in expanding its operations into the French legal market, one of the main European markets for complex legal disputes.

FiDeAL and Outmatch will combine their respective expertise to provide tailored solutions to French law firms and companies, supporting them with access to innovative financial tools and optimizing their legal strategies in high-profile litigation.

This partnership represents a milestone for both companies, opening new opportunities in the French market and offering a broader range of services to companies involved in complex disputes.

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International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) Welcomes New ELI Report – ‘Principles Governing the Third-Party Funding of Litigation’

By John Freund |

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA), the global voice of commercial legal finance, has welcomed the findings of the newly published European Law Institute (ELI) report ‘Principles governing the third-party funding of litigation’. 

The report, authored by UK High Court Judge Dame Sarah Cockerill and Professor Susanne Augenhofer, is the product of more than two years of investigative work to develop principles and guidance for the TPLF market, and represents a new, independent contribution to the legitimate and effective use of TPLF. 

Following the publication of the report, Neil Purslow, Chairman of the Executive Committee of ILFA, commented:

‘This new report, authored by seasoned legal observers, recognises that commercial legal finance increases access to justice for European businesses and consumers and provides ‘vital improvement in access to justice’ (pg.19) when made available. Contrary to the repeated claims of big business, funding helps level the playing field for those exercising their rights against multinationals with almost unlimited resources’. 

The report also cautions against imposing new regulations on the TPLF market. Instead, it advances a ‘complementary approach’ involving guidance to funders on issues to be taken into account before entering into a TPLF agreement, together with publishing a new Appendix drawing together the recommended minimum content of a funding agreement.

Purslow commented: 

‘ILFA agrees with the report’s conclusion that proscriptive one-size-fits-all regulation isn’t appropriate for a sector like ours. It risks funders ceasing to offer funding, inevitably leading to what the authors rightly identify as ‘serious access to justice issues’.’

The full report from ELI can be read online here

About ILFA

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) represents the global commercial legal finance community, and its mission is to engage, educate and influence legislative, regulatory and judicial landscapes as the global voice of the commercial legal finance industry. It is the only global association of commercial legal finance companies and is an independent, non-profit trade association promoting the highest standards of operation and service for the commercial legal finance sector. ILFA has local chapter representation around the world. For more information, visit www.ilfa.com and like us on LinkedIn and X @ILFA_Official. 

About ELI 

The European Law Institute (ELI) is an independent non-profit organisation established to initiate, conduct and facilitate research, make recommendations and provide practical guidance in the field of European legal development. The ELI secretariat is hosted by the University of Vienna, Austria.

The report team was led by Susanne Augenhofer (Professor of Law, Austria), Dame Sara Cockerill (High Court Judge, UK), and Henrik Rothe (Professor of Law, Denmark) (until July 2022). 

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US Judicial Committee to Study Disclosure of Litigation Funding

By John Freund |

With federal lawmakers following in the wake of some state legislatures in introducing draft legislation to impose new regulations on litigation funding, it is perhaps no surprise that the US judiciary has now seen fit to take a more proactive approach in examining the role of third-party legal funding in the country.

An article in Reuters covers the news that the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Civil Rules agreed last week to begin a study into litigation finance, to ascertain whether a federal rule governing disclosure of third-party funding was necessary. The decision followed a panel meeting last Thursday in Washington, D.C., and notably comes shortly after over 100 companies signed a letter calling on the judiciary to introduce greater transparency measures for litigation funding. 

The chair of the Advisory Committee, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg, said that the debate over third-party legal funding “is an important issue” and that it “is not going away.” Following the committee’s decision, a subcommittee will be created to study the issue but as the Reuters article highlights, this does not provide a timeline on when, or even if, a new rule governing disclosure would be introduced. U.S. District Judge John Bates, chair of the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, seemed to make a distinction between the “theoretical problem” that litigation finance could pose, and the study’s purpose to uncover whether there were “actual problems”.

In response to the committee’s decision, Page Faulk, senior vice president of legal reform initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, called on the judiciary “to move forward swiftly in adopting mandatory disclosure requirements.” In contrast, the International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) said that it welcomed “the opportunity to be a part of the conversation to demonstrate how legal finance is a valuable part of the legal economy and has not resulted in any of the negative outcomes that the U.S. Chamber has cut from whole cloth.”

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Legal-Bay Pre Settlement Funding Announces Settlement Resolution in BARD Hernia Mesh Lawsuits

By John Freund |

Legal-Bay LLC, The Pre-settlement Funding Company, announced today that there is finally some resolve on the horizon for hernia mesh litigants. Becton, Dickinson and Company, the parent company of BARD, has finally reached a settlement agreement on the thousands of lawsuits they’ve been battling for almost twenty years. The settlement will resolve cases in Rhode Island and the federal MDL in Ohio for plaintiffs who allege their hernia mesh devices were defective and caused physical injury.

While the exact terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, Legal Bay can report that BD has a product liability fund set aside for litigation purposes in the neighborhood of $1.7 billion. Analysts predict a large portion of that amount will be paid out to plaintiffs over multiple years. It should be noted that BD says the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing and is prepared to defend itself against future lawsuits.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay commented, “Legal Bay has been one of the few companies to fund hernia mesh from the beginning of this litigation. We applaud the lawyers who’ve been able to negotiate this global settlement, and will continue to assist plaintiffs who need their share of the money now rather than wait out the long process to receive their payout.” 

If you need a lawsuit loan from your hernia mesh lawsuit, please apply HERE or call toll-free at 877.571.0405.

Attorneys anticipate that settlement amounts will be within the $50,000 to $100,000 range, but some plaintiffs have been awarded millions. Payout amounts vary greatly, and will likely use a “matrix” to determine damages, based upon the severity of the plaintiffs’ injuries. Also, because of the variables from case to case, there is no set precedent for how much a plaintiff will receive, if they receive anything at all. However, with this latest court ruling, most plaintiffs—even those with newly-filed cases—can expect to see quick outcomes in the near future with favorable results.

Recent settlement examples:

  • $4.8 million verdict for Rhode Island plaintiff Paul Trevino in a state court trial in 2022
  • $255,000 verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the second bellwether trial in 2022
  • $500,000 verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the third bellwether trial in 2023

The preceding list comprises only a handful of the many verdicts against hernia mesh companies, and there are thousands more still awaiting their day in court. Nevertheless, Legal-Bay stands ready to help plaintiffs in financial need obtain settlement loans so they can wait out the time it will take to resolve at trial. 

Legal-Bay is one of the leading lawsuit loan funding companies, offering a fast approval process and some of the best rates in the industry. They can offer immediate cash in advance of a plaintiff’s anticipated monetary award. The non-recourse lawsuit loans—sometimes referred to as loans for lawsuit or loans on settlement—are risk-free, as the money does not need to be repaid should the recipient lose their case. Therefore, the settlement loan is less of a loan and more like a cash advance.

Anyone who has an existing lawsuit and needs cash now can apply for loan settlement and receive a quick payout, normally within 24-48 hours. There are no income verification forms or credit checks required. If you haven’t yet filed suit, Legal-Bay can put you in touch with an attorney who specializes in hernia mesh cases.If you require an immediate cash advance loan settlement from your hernia mesh lawsuit, please visit the company’s website HERE or call 877.571.0405 where skilled agents are standing by to hear about your specific case.

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Community Spotlight: Andi Mandell, Partner and Co-Head of Schulte Roth & Zabel’s Tax Group

By John Freund |

Andi Mandell is a partner and co-head of Schulte Roth & Zabel’s Tax Group, where she advises on the tax aspects relating to structured finance, securitization and fund formation. Her practice is focused on esoteric assets, including litigation funding, structured settlements, lottery receivables, secured and unsecured consumer loans and timeshare loans.

Andi has over 30 years of experience providing skilled tax advice to the securitization industry. In addition to her work in the esoteric space, Andi is recognized as an authority in the securitization of residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and real estate structured finance, including the structuring of REO-to-rental financings, servicer advance facilities, debt re-packaging, securitization of non-performing and re-performing mortgage loans, re-securitizations, distressed asset funds and MSR purchases and sales.

Andi works with other industry leaders who are shaping the securitization industry as a member of the Board of Directors of the Structured Finance Association (SFA), and is serving her fifth year as the co-chair of the Tax Policy Committee.

Company Name and Description: With a firm focus on private capital, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP is comprised of legal advisers and commercial problem-solvers who combine exceptional experience, industry insight, integrated intelligence and commercial creativity to help clients raise and invest assets and protect and expand their businesses. The firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC and London, and advises clients on investment management, corporate and transactional matters, and provides counsel on securities regulatory compliance, enforcement and investigative issues.    

Company Website: https://www.srz.com/

Year Founded: 1969  

Headquarters: New York, New York, U.S.A.  

Area of Focus: Tax, Finance, Structured Finance  

Member Quote: “Navigating the intricacies of litigation funding requires a deep understanding of both the financial and the legal landscape. As a tax lawyer, my role is to ensure that funding arrangements are properly structured to allow a broad range of investors to participate as funders in this asset class in a tax efficient manner. Litigation funding presents unique tax challenges to non-US investors and tax exempts and having the tax expertise to help guide our clients allows for greater participation in this space.”

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EvenUp Raises $135M in Series D Funding and Launches New Products to Help Level the Playing Field in Personal Injury Cases

By John Freund |

Today, EvenUp, the market leader in personal injury AI and document generation, announced it has raised a $135 million Series D round of funding and significantly expanded its AI workflow and product suite. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from Premji Invest, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, SignalFire, and B Capital Group. This brings the company’s total funding to $235 million, with $220 million raised over the last 18 months. One of the largest funding rounds in legal AI history, it puts EvenUp’s valuation at over $1 billion.

“At EvenUp, our mission is to close the justice gap through the power of technology and AI,” said Rami Karabibar, CEO and co-founder of EvenUp. “We empower personal injury firms to deliver higher standards of representation, with the goal of ultimately helping the 20 million injury victims in the U.S. achieve fairer outcomes each year. With our latest products, funding, and proprietary data, we’re now better equipped to serve our customers. We’re also excited to continue investing in our talent, expanding our world-class leadership team with recent executive leaders from public companies.”

Over 1,000 law firms use EvenUp, which has helped them claim over $1.5 billion in damages. EvenUp has flagged $200 million in missing documents, leading to settlement increases of up to 30% – putting more money back in plaintiffs’ pockets faster. Based on internal data analysis, EvenUp’s flagship product, Demands, is 69% more likely than non-EvenUp demand letters to achieve a policy limit settlement.

EvenUp’s all-in-one Claims Intelligence Platform™ is powered by its AI model known as Piai™, which is trained on hundreds of thousands of injury cases, millions of medical records and visits, and internal legal expertise. The company’s new suite of products span across the personal injury case lifecycle and include:

Equip case managers and attorneys with the tools for successful representation 

  • Case Preparation: Law firm staff manage large volumes of cases and engage in painstaking document review tasks. Despite this, an alarming rate of claims are submitted with missing supporting documents. Case Preparation is the first product of its kind to proactively help case managers make the best decisions across the lifecycle of their cases, including identifying missing documents early and simplifying the review of records, improving the quality of case preparation, and reducing time to settlement.
  • Negotiation Preparation: Negotiation Preparation helps injury professionals ensure they’re never caught off guard in negotiations with insights on strengths, weaknesses, and key facts. Attorneys are then empowered with Case Companion, a state-of-the-art AI case assistant for real-time answers to complex questions, to quickly navigate their documents and return sourced-based answers.

Enable firms to reach new levels of performance

  • Executive Analytics: Executive Analytics makes rich insights and powerful benchmarks from EvenUp’s proprietary dataset easily accessible. AI insights across key case metrics like treatment continuity, demand delays, and more ensure executives have the data they need at their fingertips to unlock new best-in-class performance.

Equip attorneys with new visibility into their historical settlements

  • Settlement Repository: With over 95% of cases settled privately, firms have lacked clean internal data to evaluate potential offers or inform negotiations on behalf of their clients. Settlement Repository solves this challenge.

EvenUp’s engineering and product teams, which span 100+ people, have shipped 50+ releases this year alone. Twenty percent of its customers are already multi-product users, and EvenUp drafts 1,000+ documents per week for its customers, positioning EvenUp as the largest AI-document drafting platform in the U.S. Revenue has grown over 100% year-over-year, and EvenUp has also more than doubled its workforce in the U.S. and Canada in the past 12 months.

“Everyone is looking for ways that Gen AI can help people in the real world, and EvenUp’s multi-product approach is the perfect example of that,” said Aaref Hilaly, partner at Bain Capital Ventures. “The work Rami and his team are doing in the legal technology space is unmatched, especially given the quality of data they provide to customers and their new workflow products. We are excited to double down and invest again in EvenUp as they embark on this new chapter.”

“We are beyond excited to partner with EvenUp, which is streamlining the day-to-day tasks of attorneys and case managers. The product velocity here is like no other – EvenUp will soon serve as the singular technology platform addressing nearly every pain point personal injury attorneys face,” said Sandesh Patnam, Managing Partner at Premji Invest.

“EvenUp’s powerful insights have reshaped how we make decisions,” said Steve Mehr, founder & partner at Sweet James. “Access to this type of business intelligence solidifies our position as the market leader. Their platform enables us to stay ahead of the competition while scaling with precision and confidence.”

“With first-of-its-kind transparency into case settlement outcomes, EvenUp truly lives up to its name by empowering advocates with accurate data, ensuring injured victims receive fair and full compensation,” said Bob Simon, co-founder of The Simon Law Group.

Find out more about EvenUp’s new products here: https://www.evenuplaw.com/

About EvenUp

EvenUp is on a mission to level the playing field in personal injury cases. EvenUp applies machine learning and its AI model known as Piai™ to reduce manual effort and maximize case outcomes across the personal injury value chain. Combining in-house human legal expertise with proprietary AI and software to analyze records. The Claims Intelligence Platform™ provides rich business insights, AI workflow automation, and best-in-class document creation for injury law firms. EvenUp is the trusted partner of personal injury law firms. Backed by top VCs, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures (BCV), SignalFire, NFX, DCM, and more, EvenUp’s customers range from top trial attorneys to America’s largest personal injury firms. EvenUp was founded in late 2019 and is headquartered in San Francisco. Learn more at www.evenuplaw.com.

About Bain Capital VenturesBain Capital Ventures (BCV) is a multi-stage VC firm with over $10B under management investing across seven core domains—AI applications, AI infrastructure, commerce, fintech, healthcare, industrials and security. Leveraging the unique resources of Bain Capital, BCV deploys targeted support at every stage of the company-building journey. For over 20 years, BCV has helped launch and commercialize more than 400 companies including Attentive, Apollo.io, Bloomreach, Clari, Docusign, Flywire, LinkedIn, Moveworks, Redis and ShipBob. For more information, visit www.baincapitalventures.com.

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Renovus Capital Partners Announces Majority Investment in Angeion Group

By John Freund |

Renovus Capital Partners (“Renovus”), a private equity firm based in the Philadelphia area, announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in class action case management solutions provider Angeion Group, LLC (“Angeion”). Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Steven Weisbrot, and senior members of the management team have maintained a significant ownership stake in the Company and will continue to drive the growth of the platform in partnership with Renovus. Marks Baughan Securities LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to Angeion Group in the transaction.

Angeion, which is also headquartered in Philadelphia, is the leading innovator in the class action settlement industry. As a global provider of notice and claims administration services, the company has built a technology platform that enables its legal experts to manage the largest and most complex class action settlements.

The Renovus partnership will enable Angeion to accelerate the buildout of its management, client service, and delivery teams and increase investment in its proprietary class action technology solutions. Angeion plans to grow its leadership position in the US market and continue to develop its international business through a combination of key hires, new solutions, and strategic acquisitions.

Angeion was founded in 2013 by Steve Weisbrot, Esq. and Christopher Chimicles, with a mission to modernize the class action settlements industry. With over 160 team members, the Company provides high-quality service and innovative technology solutions in settlement administration, adapting to the constantly evolving legal services ecosystem. To date, its team has managed more than 2,000 class action settlements and distributed over $10 billion to class members.

“This partnership marks a major milestone in Angeion’s growth journey,” said Weisbrot. “The investment from Renovus is a testament to the dynamic team that has propelled Angeion into the great company that it is today and that will continue to drive its growth into the future. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished, and I am even more energized for the years ahead.”

“Angeion is one of the most differentiated and fastest growing players in class action services,” said Renovus Managing Director Lee Minkoff. “Renovus has a track record of identifying unique tech-enabled legal services companies, aligning with management on a growth thesis, and making investments to execute that thesis. This is the exact opportunity we have with Angeion, and we could not be more excited to partner with Steve and the management team.”

Marks Baughan served as exclusive financial advisor to Angeion Group.

About Angeion Group

Angeion Group stands at the forefront of settlement administration and legal noticing services. Leveraging advanced technology, proven best practices, and expert consulting, Angeion specializes in managing class actions and other types of mass litigation. Angeion’s dedication to efficiency, accountability, and excellence instills confidence in counsel and the court alike. 

About Renovus Capital PartnersFounded in 2010, Renovus Capital Partners is a lower middle-market private equity firm specializing in the Knowledge and Talent industries. From its base in the Philadelphia area, Renovus manages over $2 billion of assets across its several sector focused funds. The firm’s current portfolio includes over 30 U.S. based businesses specializing in education and workforce development and services companies in the technology, healthcare and professional services markets. Renovus typically makes control buyout investments in founder owned businesses, leveraging its industry expertise and operator network to make operational improvements, recruit top talent and pursue add-on acquisitions. Visit us at www.renovuscapital.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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Community Spotlight: Phil Goter, Partner, Intellectual Property Group, Barnes & Thornburg

By John Freund |

Clients trust Phillip Goter to enforce and manage their valuable intellectual property. Phil counsels organizations – ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies – around the world, managing litigation through trial and appeal, thoughtfully obtaining patents and trademarks, conducting pre-suit investigations, advising on regulatory issues, conducting due diligence and freedom to operate analyses, and resolving complex disputes.

Phil leverages his business and industry experience when working with his clients, and they value his strategic thinking and trust his counsel regarding IP strategies that protect R&D investment and product markets.

Phil, who practices in the firm’s Minneapolis office, frequently works with high-tech clients in the computer software and hardware space. His keen familiarity with computer hardware, standards-essential cellular infrastructure, 5G, GPS, mobile apps, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer and network security, VoIP, wireless networking, home automation, medical devices, and cloud computing aid him in providing successful outcomes for his clients.

He has deep experience providing counsel to international businesses on U.S. intellectual property matters, including representing European and Asian consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications, and pharmaceutical companies in global IP disputes. His practice includes patent litigation in U.S. district courts around the country and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, with the majority in key patent litigation venues such as Texas, Delaware, and California.

Phil also has significant experience with complex economic matters and his cases have included competition law issues, such as monopolization, attempted monopolization, and Walker Process and sham litigation claims. He has successfully obtained lost profits verdicts in pharmaceutical cases and has commissioned and used numerous expert surveys in litigation to prove infringement, indirect infringement, rates of infringement, apportionment, lost profits, and value of the invention.

He also has in-house counsel experience. Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Phil was an investment manager and legal counsel for a global, publicly traded litigation finance and legal risk management company. He advanced the company’s IP initiatives globally and handled U.S. litigation matters through the entire life cycle of the litigation funding relationship, including sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring IP and commercial investments through to resolution.

Outside of his legal practice, Phil teaches intellectual property at the University of Minnesota Law School and can often be found at the hockey rink, coaching his three children’s youth hockey teams.

Company Name and Description: With more than 800 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. We serve clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, South Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C. We provide guidance in more than 50 dedicated practice areas, including litigation, intellectual property, labor and employment and corporate law. We are where you need us. Find out more at btlaw.com.

Company Website: btlaw.com

Year Founded: 1982

Headquarters: Largest office is in Indianapolis

Area of Focus: Intellectual property

Member Quote: Litigation finance has become an increasingly important financial tool for IP owners, who often find themselves disadvantaged by large, well-capitalized competitors. In this lopsided dynamic, non-recourse capital from trusted legal funders gives me the ability to right the harms inflicted upon my clients.

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Litigation Capital Management Limited Positive Update on Fund I Investment

By John Freund |

Litigation Capital Management Limited (AIM:LIT), an alternative asset manager specialising in dispute financing solutions internationally, announces a positive development on an investment within its Fund I portfolio.

LCM has funded a claim advanced in respect of an international arbitration claim brought against the Republic of Poland under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Rules. The Tribunal has unanimously held in favour of the funded party that the Republic of Poland breached its obligations under the Australia-Poland Bilateral Investment Treaty and the Energy Charter Treaty.  

The quantum of the award entered in favour of LCM’s funded party totals A$490 million plus interest.

LCM’s funded party has therefore been successful in the claim. If the award is not subject to challenge and is not satisfied the dispute will move to an enforcement stage. We will assess any further funding requirements once the enforcement strategy has been finalised.

The total investment into the case to date is A$16.6 million (US$11.3 million). This investment comprises A$4.2 million (US$2.8 million) from LCM’s own balance sheet and A$12.4 million (US$8.5 million) of third party capital from Fund I. In line with our usual practice LCM’s returns are calculated as a rising multiple of invested capital over time.  

This investment is no longer attended with liability and quantum risk as that has been decided. Final performance will be announced to the market after conclusion of the investment. However, if the award is satisfied within a reasonable period without the need for enforcement, then based upon the contractual terms with the funded party as at the date of this announcement, LCM would be entitled to a multiple of 6 times its own invested capital plus significant performance fees on third party capital invested. 

Patrick Moloney, CEO of LCM, commented: “This announcement represents a very significant milestone in this investment. Subject to any challenge to the very favourable and unanimous award we now move to an enforcement stage. This investment is part of Fund I and therefore stands to benefit from significant performance fees giving it the potential to be the most successful investment in LCM’s history.”

About LCM

Litigation Capital Management (LCM) is an alternative asset manager specialising in disputes financing solutions internationally, which operates two business models. The first is direct investments made from LCM’s permanent balance sheet capital and the second is third party fund management. Under those two business models, LCM currently pursues three investment strategies: Single-case funding, Portfolio funding and Acquisitions of claims. LCM generates its income from both its direct investments and also performance fees through asset management.

LCM has an unparalleled track record driven by disciplined project selection and robust risk management. Currently headquartered in Sydney, with offices in London, Singapore, Brisbane and Melbourne, LCM listed on AIM in December 2018, trading under the ticker LIT.

www.lcmfinance.com

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Tactical Management Announces Acquisition of Avyana Litigation Funding

By John Freund |

An investment vehicle advised by Tactical Management has successfully acquired Avyana Litigation Funding, further expanding its strategic portfolio in the legal financing sector.

Tactical Management, a globally active turnaround investor, specializes in unlocking the potential of underperforming companies, distressed real estate, and non-performing loans. The firm’s expertise lies in driving value and growth through strategic and operational support across a range of sectors and asset types.

Avyana Litigation Funding is dedicated to democratizing justice by providing financial support for complex legal disputes. As a trusted partner to minority shareholders, investors, and businesses, Avyana not only funds their fight to pursue rightful claims but also helps them monetize these claims, turning legal challenges into financial opportunities.

The acquisition aligns with Tactical Management’s strategic focus on supporting businesses with high-growth potential through innovative solutions. The acquisition of Avyana allows Tactical Management to strengthen its presence in the legal financing market, offering comprehensive services such as:

  • Shareholder Disputes: Funding legal battles over shareholder rights, corporate governance, and mismanagement.
  • Investor Claims: Supporting claims related to corporate misconduct, fraud, or breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Bankruptcy Litigation: Financing litigation to recover debts or protect interests during bankruptcy proceedings.
  • Individual or Collective Legal Actions: Providing funding for both individual and group legal actions.

Through this acquisition, Tactical Management enhances its ability to generate value for investors and stakeholders by tapping into the rapidly growing litigation funding market.

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Chris Dore Joins Bridge Legal as Managing Director, Strategic Opportunities

By John Freund |

Bridge Legal, a leading provider of AI legal workflows, data management, and predictive analytics solutions for litigation funders and the high-volume law firms they support, is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Dore as Managing Director, Strategic Opportunities.

With over 15 years of experience as a litigator and litigation funder specializing in mass torts, single-event, and class-action matters, Chris brings a wealth of expertise to Bridge Legal. Prior to joining the company, he served as a Partner at Edelson PC, a nationally recognized mass tort and class-action law firm, and most recently as a Director at Burford Capital, the world’s largest litigation funder.

In his new role, Chris will focus on expanding and managing Bridge Legal’s capital market strategies in high-volume consumer litigation. He will leverage the company’s industry leading marketing, intake, case maturation, and AI-driven software platform—Bridgify—to strengthen relationships within the mass tort, mass arbitration, and single-event space. His efforts aim to enhance the sophistication of services offered to Bridge Legal’s law firm and litigation funder clients, providing them with the tools and resources necessary to thrive amidst increasing data complexity and operational risk.

“Bridgify’s AI workflow capabilities are transforming the way litigation funders and law firms operate by providing unprecedented visibility over their investments and case portfolios,” said Ed Scanlan, Founder & CEO of Bridge Legal. “We are thrilled to welcome Chris to our leadership team. His extensive experience in mass torts and litigation funding aligns perfectly with our strategic vision. With his leadership, we aim to further enhance Bridgify’s AI-driven solutions to meet the evolving needs of litigation funders and the firms they support. Chris’s role will be pivotal in deepening our relationships within the industry and elevating the services we provide.”

“I’m excited to join the leading legal tech company in the industry,” said Chris. “Bridgify represents the future of high-volume legal services and litigation funding by integrating AI to streamline and enhance every facet of investment and case management. By focusing on expanding capital investments in high-volume consumer litigation and leveraging Bridge Legal’s innovative platforms, we can provide unparalleled value to our clients. I look forward to contributing to Bridge Legal’s mission of increasing human access to justice and helping to lead the company into its next chapter.”

About Bridge Legal

Bridge Legal is the leading provider of AI workflow and predictive analytics solutions for litigation funders and the law firms they support. From its Chicago office, the company also offers marketing and intake services to help firms build their dockets, as well as back-office support for rapid case prove-up, including Plaintiff Fact Sheets and medical record reviews. Combined with its flagship platform, Bridgify—which includes data management and normalization, AI-driven workflow automation, integration management, predictive analytics, client communication and asset monitoring and fund management—this provides a game-changing, flexible offering unmatched in the industry. By integrating advanced technology with industry expertise, Bridge Legal empowers its clients to streamline operations, enhance client services, and drive profitable growth in an increasingly complex legal landscape.

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Free Conference on Recent Legislative Responses to Litigation Finance

By John Freund |

The Center on Civil Justice at New York University School of Law mission is dedicated to the U.S. civil justice system and the continued fulfillment of its purpose. The Center brings together the unmatched strengths of the NYU Law faculty in the fields of procedure and complex litigation with the sophisticated practitioners and judges who make up our Board of Advisers.  Together we endeavor to support our civil courts as a place for people to fairly and efficiently resolve their problems and access justice.

The Center on Civil Justice at NYU School of Law will host a one-day conference on October 28, 2024 on the subject of legislative efforts to regulate third-party legal funding with the goal of connecting the debates on key legal funding issues taking place in academia and among practitioners, lobbyists and legislators, in the US and in Europe.  

The conference will consist of three panels, each focusing on a different legal funding reform effort. These include U.S. legislative efforts to regulate commercial litigation financing and consumer legal funding, in addition to an examination of European and other international legislative attempts to regulate third-party funding. The bill sponsors will be invited to present, along with experts on the topics the bill covers.

The event will take place on October 28, 2024, from 9am – 3:30pm.  We encourage everyone to attend in-person at Greenberg Lounge of Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, NY, NY 10012.

For those who cannot do so, the event will also be livestreamed via Zoom.  A link will be sent out to everyone who RSVPs.

The event is free, and we will be applying for CLE credit. 

Register Here: https://forms.gle/Z5UuQcB2geNhRe7dA.

9:15 AM – 9:30 AM – Opening Remarks

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Panel 1: Disclosure of Commercial Litigation Financing Agreements

While much of the state legislation enacted on third-party litigation finance has focused on consumer legal funding, states and the federal government have begun to think about the regulation of commercial litigation funding as well.  Specifically, the issue of whether, under what circumstances, and to what extent to disclose commercial third-party funding has been one of the most significant policy questions facing the industry for years.   Legislation has been introduced or passed in West Virginia, Wisconsin, and US Congress regarding disclosure of commercial funding agreements, and we will discuss these bills and others and how they will impact the commercial funding landscape.

11:15 AM – 12:45 PM – Panel 2: New York A.115 – Consumer Funding

Much, if not most, state legislation focuses specifically on consumer legal funding and not commercial litigation financing.  New York State alone has five different such bills.  This panel chooses to focus on A.115, which has passed the New York State Senate but not the Assembly – the bill that has so far advanced the furthest.  This bill caps returns to funders at the military lending rate.  Other bills do not place such a cap at all but require full disclosure of the contract.  This panel will discuss what is the best way forward to regulate the product in New York and across the country.

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM – Lunch

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Panel 3: EU P9_TA (2022) 0308 – International Legislation

In 2022, the EU Parliament adopted a resolution to introduce legislation creating minimum standards for third-party funding in the EU.  The European Commission has yet to submit a formal proposal for the EU Parliament and European Commission to consider.  However, the principals outlined in the resolution highlight many significant discussion points within the industry and demonstrate the state of international regulation of the industry.

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM – Closing Remarks

RSVP for the event here: https://forms.gle/Z5UuQcB2geNhRe7dA.

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More Than 100 Companies Sign Letter Urging Third-Party Litigation Funding Disclosure Rule for Federal Courts Ahead of October Judicial Rules Meeting

By John Freund |

In the most significant demonstration of concern for secretive third-party litigation funding (TPLF) to date, 124 companies, including industry leaders in healthcare, technology, financial services, insurance, energy, transportation, automotive and other sectors today sent a letter to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules urging creation of a new rule that would require a uniform process for the disclosure of TPLF in federal cases nationwide. The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules will meet on October 10 and plans to discuss whether to move ahead with the development of a new rule addressing TPLF.

The letter, organized by Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ), comes at a time when TPLF has grown into a 15 billion dollar industry and invests funding in an increasing number of cases which, in turn, has triggered a growing number of requests from litigants asking courts to order the disclosure of funding agreements in their cases. The letter contends that courts are responding to these requests with a “variety of approaches and inconsistent practices [that] is creating a fragmented and incoherent procedural landscape in the federal courts.” It states that a rule is “particularly needed to supersede the misplaced reliance on ex parte conversations; ex parte communications are strongly disfavored by the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges because they are both ineffective in educating courts and highly unfair to the parties who are excluded.”

Reflecting the growing concern with undisclosed TPLF and its impact on the justice system, LCJ and the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) submitted a separate detailed comment letter to the Advisory Committee that also advocates for a “simple and predictable rule for TPLF disclosure.”

Alex Dahl, LCJ’s General Counsel said: “The Advisory Committee should propose a straightforward, uniform rule for TPLF disclosure. Absent such a rule, the continued uncertainty and court-endorsed secrecy of non-party funding will further unfairly skew federal civil litigation. The support from 124 companies reflects both the importance of a uniform disclosure rule and the urgent need for action.”

The corporate letter advances a number of additional reasons why TPLF disclosure is needed in federal courts:

Control: The letter argues that parties “cannot make informed decisions without knowing the stakeholders who control the litigation… and cannot understand the control features of a TPLF agreement without reading the agreement.” While many funding agreements state that the funder does not control the litigation strategy, companies are increasingly concerned that they use their growing financial leverage to exercise improper influence.

Procedural safeguards: The companies maintain that the safeguards embodied in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) cannot work without disclosure of TPLF.  One example is that courts and parties today are largely unaware of and unable to address conflicts between witnesses, the court, and parties on the one hand, and non-parties on the other, when these funding agreements and the financial interests behind them remain largely secret.

Appraisal of the case: Finally, the letter reasons that the FRCP already require the disclosure of corporate insurance policies which the Advisory Committee explained in 1970 “will enable counsel for both sides to make the same realistic appraisal of the case, so that settlement and litigation strategy are based on knowledge and not speculation.” The companies maintain that this very same logic should also require the disclosure of TPLF given its growing role and impact on federal civil litigation.

Besides the corporate letter and joint comment, LCJ is intensifying its efforts to rally companies and practitioners to Ask About TPLF in their cases, and to press for a uniform federal rule to require disclosure. LCJ will be launching a new Ask About TPLF website that will serve as a hub for its new campaign later this month.

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Key Takeaways from LFJ’s Virtual Town Hall: Spotlight on Insurance

By John Freund |

On September 26th, LFJ hosted a virtual town hall titled “Spotlight on Insurance.” The panel discussion featured David Kerstein (DK), Founder and Managing Director at Arcadia Finance, Michael Perich (MP), Director, Head of Litigation Insurance at Lockton Companies, Steve Jones (SJ), Managing Director, M&A, Litigation and Tax Practice at Gallagher, and Jeremy Marshall, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, Winward U.K. Limited. The panel was moderated by Jim Batson (JB), Chief Operating Officer at Westfleet Advisors.

Below are some key takeaways from the event:

JB: As Arcadia is a relatively new player in the litigation finance space, how has Arcadia incorporated insurance products into your underwriting and claims selection processes?

DK: As we were raising capital earlier this year, we explored using insurance to wrap a future portfolio, to potentially help drive fundraising and lower cost of capital. We weren’t able to do that as a first-time manager, but it’s something we’d like to explore in the future. We’re currently exploring traditional insurance products like JPI, and wrapping portfolios that may be on the edge of our mandate, and wrapping them in insurance would help us get to ‘yes.’

JB: So wrapping portfolios will help you look at some deals you might not otherwise consider?

DK: Exactly.

JB: Steve, can you give us an overview of the current Legal Insurance market? Especially focusing on recent developments in Capital Protection Insurance.

SJ: At the moment, I’m seeing a lot of innovation, so it seems like no two deals are the same, as there is a lot of creativity to get deals done. Very high submission rates, which probably suggests that knowledge of the products is increasing. And I see insurers and funders collaborating. It’s very seldom we see funders approach portfolio deals without thinking of insurance, and capital protection insurance (CPI) is the most obvious example of that. The net result of all of that is increased choice for clients, which I think we can all agree is a good thing.

JB: Jeremy, how do you view the relationship between funders and insurers? Some have thought of insurers as competitors to litigation funders – an example is in the appeal context, where the client has the option of taking funding and de-risking immediately, or taking insurance and de-risking at conclusion of the matter. How do you see the relationship between insurers and funders evolving?

JM: I view it very much as a collaborative venture, for at least two specific reasons: One is the competition appeal tribunal (CAT) in the UK. You couldn’t go into the CAT without the support of the insurers. And that morphs into the concept of co-funding, which is growing. And you wouldn’t be able to do this without insurers, particularly when you’ve got a policy with an insurer and you’re invited to participate with somebody else, it might be syndicated with more than one funder– all the insurers are going to have positions in relation to that and you’re not going to get it off the ground without the insurers involved. It really is a team effort, as cases have lots of ups and downs.

Without a good relationship with an insurer, you’re not going to get off the ground. And particularly in a client-facing situation, you want insurers and funders to be speaking with the same voice, and often you’ll see in points of tension where clients and law firms sometimes, will try to play the ‘divide and rule game’ with insurers and funders. And we need to speak with a unified voice if we can. And I think that will grow in time, where insurers will play a bigger role in both the front and back end of a transaction.

JB: Michael, from your perspective, what are you seeing as the most interesting trends in terms of the intersection of insurance and litigation funding?

MP: Litigation insurance has been in the transaction space for quite a long time. What we’ve been seeing lately is a substantial uptick in deal flow based on increased awareness and knowledge of the product base. Some of that deal flow are things that are not insurable (in the US market) – things like portfolios of personal injury or mass tort cases. Those won’t be insurable in the US. But we’re seeing more IP and antitrust cases, and more interest around building a sustainable market that involves portfolio risks and complex pieces of commercial litigation that helps make a more efficient transaction for everybody. And that’s where all of the parties are getting more aligned. So over the past six months, we’ve been noticing a lot more collaboration and innovation lately, which is a good thing.

For the full panel discussion, please click here.

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Burford Capital Marks 15-Year Anniversary with Business Data and New Legal Finance Research

By John Freund |

Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, has grown significantly since its founding in 2009. As part of ongoing recognition of the growth in legal finance and Burford’s industry leadership as it celebrates its 15th anniversary, it today shares data from its own performance and releases new research based on one-on-one phone interviews with senior lawyers at global law firms who have a front seat to growing awareness and use of legal finance by their clients and firms.

Christopher Bogart, CEO of Burford Capital, says: “Jon Molot and I started Burford 15 years ago because of economic inefficiencies we saw in the business of law. We’re delighted that our business has since grown from niche to mainstream and is now truly ‘corporate finance for law.’ From day one, our priority has been to listen to clients’ needs, and as a result, we have a suite of tools that provide liquidity, de-risk contingent matters and enable more strategic affirmative recoveries. Burford has earned a reputation as the go-to firm for legal finance, and we’re excited about the road ahead. We’ll keep our focus on clients, innovation and advancing the business of law.”

Data from Burford’s business confirms its performance as a legal finance industry leader:

  • Exceptional growth in our business: Burford began in 2009 as a $130 million fund; today, Burford has a portfolio of more than $7 billion.
  • Increased demand for what we do: In 2009, Burford committed $11 million to legal finance assets; in 2023, that number was $1.2 billion on a Group-wide basis.
  • Growing relevance to sophisticated businesses, with innovation to address corporate balance sheet and P&L needs: More than half our business now comes from corporate clients. Many seek monetizations ― where Burford provides businesses immediate capital by advancing some of the expected entitlement of a pending claim, judgment or award ― and we have committed very substantial capital over the past five years to monetization deals from $10 million to $325 million.
  • Development of human capital and proprietary data: In 2009, we had five employees; today, we have seven offices and more than 150 employees. In addition, Burford has built an industry-leading proprietary database of commercial dispute outcomes and tools that harness machine learning, data analytics and artificial intelligence to benefit our clients and our performance.
  • NYSE-listed in 2020: We have been public since 2009 and have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2020.

Similarly, research released today by Burford reveals that legal finance has exploded in visibility and value with lawyers. Key findings include:

  • 82% of law firm lawyers surveyed claim to have used legal finance, a ninefold increase since Burford first asked law firm lawyers this question in 2012. Although confirmation bias may result in overstatement of actual use, even accounting for this, legal finance’s enormous increased stated use reflects its visibility and acceptance in the business of law.
  • Lawyers are using legal finance in more sophisticated ways: Many law firm lawyers affirm that legal finance is now used to strategically manage risk rather than because clients lack funds. Law firm lawyers and their clients see legal finance as a strategic tool across commercial litigation and arbitration as well as more complex financial structures like portfolio financing and funded patent divestitures.
  • An Am Law 50 law firm partner said: “For some of the bigger clients, you see more portfolio deals rather than single transactions. Not many companies start with a portfolio, but as they see success, both law firms and corporations are pursuing portfolio transactions.”
  • Law firms are embracing legal finance to fuel growth, as more than eight in ten of those surveyed report a more positive perception of legal finance than 15 years ago.
  • A Global 100 law firm partner said: “The client’s mindset has completely changed, and they are now coming to their outside counsel and asking for litigation funding options. Offering the use of funding and using it is a validation of the merit of a claim and is a good pressure point.”
  • Law firm lawyers confirm that corporate clients are increasingly using legal finance, as 82% of those surveyed said the use of legal finance by corporations has increased over this period.
  • A litigation boutique partner said: “Litigation is a bottom-line cost. If corporations can spread that risk by sharing it with an outside capital provider, CFOs want to explore that option, especially because corporations hate litigation expenses. They are much more open to it if they can get some or all of it covered by legal finance.”

The research is based on one-on-one phone interviews conducted by Ari Kaplan Advisors with 44 senior lawyers from global law firms in August and September 2024. The participants included partners, department heads and practice group chairs. Of these respondents, 34% came from AmLaw 100 law firms and 30% from Global 100 law firms.

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International Legal Finance Association Adds IVO Capital Partners as New Member

By John Freund |

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA), the only global association of commercial legal finance companies, today announced the addition of Paris-based legal finance provider IVO Capital Partners as its 25th member. 

“ILFA is pleased to welcome IVO Capital Partners to our growing membership ranks,” said Shannon Campagna, ILFA’s interim Executive Director. “IVO’s addition serves as the quarter century mark for ILFA’s global membership. The firm will play a crucial role in helping ILFA promote the highest standards of operation and service for the commercial legal finance sector around the world.” 

“We are thrilled that IVO’s team is joining ILFA’s diverse roster of commercial legal funders,” said Neil Purslow, ILFA Chairman and Co-Founder of Therium, an ILFA member. “The addition of yet another legal finance provider this year demonstrates the increasingly important role that ILFA plays as the global voice for the ever-expanding legal finance industry, particularly in Europe.” 

IVO Capital Partners is an independent asset management company specializing in corporate debt and has established itself as a leader in the European legal finance industry. The firm boasts over a decade of experience in litigation funding, investing over $166 million in 64 cases across a wide array of geographies and action types. IVO is currently deploying its third legal finance fund, IVO Legal Strategies Fund III SLP. 

“The key role being played by ILFA in working with members of the litigation funding industry, as well as all other professionals involved with this industry, has made this membership a requirement for us to be even more active in the evolution and growth of the industry,” said Paul de Servigny, the fund manager of IVO’s litigation finance activities. “With Europe as our main source of business, we are very happy to be able to contribute to growing ILFA’s reach and understanding of different jurisdictions and how litigation finance is viewed there.”

About the International Legal Finance Association 

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) represents the global commercial legal finance community, and its mission is to engage, educate and influence legislative, regulatory and judicial landscapes as the voice of the commercial legal finance industry. It is the only global association of commercial legal finance companies and is an independent, non-profit trade association promoting the highest standards of operation and service for the commercial legal finance sector. ILFA has local chapter representation around the world. 

For more information, visit www.ilfa.com and find us on LinkedIn and X @ILFA_Official.

About IVO Capital Partners 

IVO Capital Partners is an independent French asset management company with more than €1.5 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2012, it invests in listed and unlisted credit on emerging market corporate bonds and litigation finance. IVO Capital Partners’ expertise allows its client-investors to access new investment universes with clarity and profitability and also to provide access to financing, on the one hand, to companies established in emerging countries and, on the other hand, to litigation so that they can lead to compensation. The company employs 14 nationalities and invests in more than 50 countries. IVO is among Europe’s leaders in the legal finance industry, with more than $166 million invested and more than 64 cases financed as of 2024. For over a decade, IVO’s expert investment team has ensured asymmetric returns for investors while promoting the rights of parties involved in meritorious litigation and class-action lawsuits. For more information, visit www.ivocapital.com

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Community Spotlight: Richard Culberson, CEO, VoiceNation and Moneypenny North America

By John Freund |

Member Bio: Richard Culberson is the CEO of VoiceNation and Moneypenny North America, global leaders in outsourced call answering, live chat, receptionist teams and customer service solutions for business large and small, handling over 20 million calls and chats for thousands of organizations. The business  has an award-winning culture, with over 1,000 people across the US and UK. At the centre of this culture is a vision that if you combine awesome people with leading-edge technology, you will supercharge your people and your business, delivering gold standard customer experience and service. Richard is passionate about building teams that leverage new business models and technologies, driving growth and scaling business.

Company Name and Description:  Moneypenny and VoiceNation are America’s leading virtual receptionist & phone answering providers offering 24/7 communication solutions. 

Collectively, Moneypenny and VoiceNation employ over 1,000 people handling millions of calls, chats and bespoke tech solutions for thousands of businesses of all shapes and sizes from sole traders right up to multinational corporations.

Company Websitewww.voicenation.com & www.moneypenny.com

Year Founded:  2000

Headquarters:  Atlanta (USA) and Wrexham (UK)

Area of Focus: Richard Culberson, CEO of North America, focuses on strategic growth, innovation, and market expansion in the region combining the very best people and tech to provide gold standard customer contact solutions. 

Member Quote: “Litigation funding is transforming how businesses approach legal disputes. Moneypenny and VoiceNation provide bespoke call answering and customer service solutions, ensuring prompt and professional responses that improve client engagement and lead generation. We also provide 24/7 availability, allowing firms to capture opportunities and deliver excellent customer service even outside regular business hours.”

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

By John Freund |

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

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

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

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

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

Equity Project Mission and Impact

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

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

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

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

Equity Project Champions

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

APAC

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

Europe

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

US

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

About Burford Capital

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

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

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Nakiki SE: Mask Lawsuits Will Not be Financed

By John Freund |

Nakiki SE announces that the two so-called “mask lawsuits” (lawsuits against the federal government for payment related to supply contracts for COVID masks), which are currently in the review phase or at the stage of a Letter of Intent, will not be financed after thorough and detailed examination.

Litigation funders such as Nakiki SE assess claims to be financed through both internal and external legal and economic evaluations. A decision not to finance a claim is not necessarily an indicator of the claim’s chances of success but may also be due to a limited risk appetite or other factors.

In principle, Nakiki SE remains interested in financing so-called mask lawsuits. Affected mask suppliers are still encouraged to contact Nakiki. Each case will be reviewed individually and promptly.

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Houzhu Capital Hosts International Conference on Third-Party Funding Industry

By John Freund |

Houzhu Capital is delighted to invite you to join the International Conference on Third-party Funding Industry held in Beijing on 25 Sep, as part of the China Arbitration Week events. You may register here for in-person participation or online stream.

The Conference is the first international conference on TPF in China, which invites representatives from domestic and foreign arbitration centers, leading TPF institutions, well-known scholars, and practitioners from law firms and corporations.

Highlights of the event include:

  • Opening speech and welcome from Mr. Jin Huang, Chairman of Beijing International Dispute Resolution Center, and Mr. Jianlong Yu, Vice-president of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
  • Keynote speech on Third-party Funding in England and Wales: Learning from the Past, and Looking to the Future, by professor Rachael Patricia Mulheron from Queen Mary University.
  • Panel I: Third-party Funding in Arbitration Rules, moderated by Ms. Yulin Fu, Professor of Peking University Law School, joined by representatives from arbitration centers.
  • Panel II: International and Domestic Practice of Third-party Funding, moderated by Mr. Ning Fei, Senior Consultant of Houzhu Capital, joined by representatives from TPF institutions.
  • Panel III: International and Domestic Use of Third-party Funding, moderated by Mr. Jialu Wang, Co-funder of Houzhu Capital, joined by representatives from domestic and international corporations.

A cocktail reception will be provided after the Conference for networking and further communication.

About Houzhu

Houzhu Capital is a leading TPF institution in China with domestic and international business footprints and network. Founded by top legal professionals and as a pioneer in China, Houzhu has been committed to exploring the regulatory development and business practice of TPF services in China, supporting clients in domestic and international dispute resolution and asset recovery. You can find more about Houzhu here[Author2] 

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Moneypenny and VoiceNation Appoint New US Head of Marketing


By John Freund |

Moneypenny and VoiceNation, leading virtual receptionist and phone answering providers, have appointed a new US Head of Marketing, Kris Altiere.  Kris joins with over 20 years experience in marketing, growing revenue and improving brand awareness for companies of all sizes from start ups to rebrands and merging companies, which she has done time after time with great success.

Kris has a proven track record in establishing the brands she works with as the trusted leaders in their area, with a well defined identity.  She is an award-winning integrated marketing communications strategist, specializing in connecting vision with innovative digital communication solutions to drive sales, build brand image, and secure customer loyalty. Her role at Moneypenny and VoiceNation will be to drive US awareness and further the growth and recognition of the US brands though strategic marketing strategies, further solidifying the value proposition and expanding into new markets.  

Richard Culberson, CEO at Moneypenny North Amercia comments: “We are delighted to welcome Kris to our award-winning company and are excited about the fantastic experience she will bring to Moneypenny and VoiceNation. She’s an excellent addition to our rapidly growing team and her experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our brands in the US.” 

Kris comments: “I am really looking forward to joining the diverse and global team and utilizing my extensive background and expertise in Healthcare and Legal to further expand those areas within the US, while growing the existing client sectors.  I am excited be part of the Moneypenny and VoiceNation award winning culture and to help lead and grow our marketing team, as well as work with the amazing UK marketing teams, to help the business with our ambitious growth plans.”

About our market-leading brands

Moneypenny and VoiceNation are America’s leading virtual receptionist & phone answering providers offering 24/7 communication solutions. 

Collectively, Moneypenny and VoiceNation employ over 1,000 people handling millions of calls, chats and bespoke tech solutions for thousands of businesses of all shapes and sizes from sole traders right up to multinational corporations.

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Community Spotlight:  Rocco Pirozzolo, Managing Director and Director of Underwriting, Harbour Underwriting Limited

By John Freund |

Rocco has been the underwriting director of Harbour Underwriting Limited since its incorporation and is also its managing director. He is a solicitor who has spent over two decades developing and providing insurance for a wide variety of legal disputes brought around the world. Apart from being a seasoned underwriter, he has also been a director in the investment team of Harbour Litigation Funding and so has vast experience of complex litigation risks.

Rocco is one of the leading figures in the dispute resolution community. Since 2003, he has served on numerous forums and Working Parties of the Civil Justice Council, a statutory body responsible for overseeing and modernising the civil justice system. He has also been the Chair of The Association of British Insurers’ Legal Expenses Committee.

Rocco is named in Band 1 as a Leading Individual in the Litigation Insurance Underwriters UK section ofChambers and Partners Litigation Support guide 2024 and also included in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of the 100 Global Leaders in Litigation Finance.

He is the general editor ofThe Law Society’s Litigation Funding Handbook and the author of several of its chapters, including that on dispute insurance. He is also the co-author of the chapter on legal expenses insurance in the practitioners’ textbookFriston on Costs.

Cases insured by Rocco include:

  • various class actions (including securities claims) brought around the world, including in the UK, Australia and Canada
  • professional negligence claims, including against lawyers, auditors and surveyors, such as in Levicom International Holdings BV v Linklaters (a firm) [2010] EWCA Civ 494
  • intellectual property claims, such as Bentley 1962 Limited & Brandlogic Limited v Bentley Motors Limited [2019] EWHC 2925
  • group actions, including environmental claims such as Barr v Biffa Waste Services Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 312.

Rocco has been instructed over the years as an expert on dispute insurance, including by The Law Society in its intervention in a landmark case heard before the Supreme Court in Coventry v Lawrence [2015] UKSC50.

Company Name and Description:    Harbour Underwriting Ltd

Company Website: https://harbourunderwriting.com

Year Founded:  2016

Headquarters:  4th Floor, 8 Waterloo Place, London England, SW1Y 4BE

Area of Focus:  Commercial dispute insurance

Member Quote: Litigation funders are sophisticated users of commercial dispute insurance. Even though they may well be confident of the prospects of the case they are funding succeeding, they know only too well how disputes can unexpectedly and inexplicably ‘take a turn’ for the worst and so they value having commercial dispute insurance in place from the outset.”

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LCM Releases Full Year Audited Results for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

By John Freund |

Litigation Capital Management (LCM) has released its full year audited results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

Highlights

  • Net realised gains of A$32.2m (FY23: A$51.5m), with concluded case investments generating a 2.4x multiple of cash invested (MOIC)
  • Total income of A$44.7m (FY23: A$67.7m)
  • Profit after tax for the period of A$12.7m (FY23: A$31.5m)
  • Dividend of 1.25p (FY23: 2.25p)
  • Net assets of A$188.9m (FY23: A$183.5m) with cases conservatively valued at 1.9x cash invested
  • Book value per share of 94.4 pence (FY23: 90.3 pence)
  • Total new commitments of A$279m added in the period (FY23: A$176m)
  • Fund I which comprises US$150m of external capital is fully committed and Fund II which comprises US$291m of external capital is 58% committed
  • Share buyback program is 70% complete and remains ongoing

Strategic Update

  • The Company is continuing its transition to asset management. Fund III marketing to commence towards the end of 2024 calendar year
  • Preparing a disciplined and staged entry into the US market. 
  • Acquired the intellectual property of a cutting edge legal finance Big Data/AI platform. Application of this technology to form part of US market entry and drive enhanced origination and investment diligence more broadly across the Company

Commenting on the results, Patrick Moloney, CEO of Litigation Capital Management, said:We are pleased to have extended our industry-leading track record with successful case outcomes over the past 12 months driving our 13-year investment performance to an impressive 2.9x multiple of invested capital. Our transition from balance sheet funder to high return asset manager is progressing well, and we are looking forward to engaging with our LP investor base as we commence marketing for Fund III.

With our London operations firmly established, having generated realisations of over £100m at a MOIC exceeding 3x, we are now strategically preparing for a disciplined and staged entry into the US market. As part of this strategic initiative, we’ve recently acquired the IP of a leading legal finance Big Data/AI platform. We see substantial opportunities to leverage this technology across our business in an asset class that is ideally suited for such innovation.

The full result announcement and audited results can be read here.

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Bay Point Closes $50 Million Capital Raise for Legal Investment Fund

By John Freund |

Bay Point Advisors LLC, an Atlanta-based investment firm with a focus in niche private markets, is proud to announce the successful close of a $50 million capital raise for Bay Point Legal Fund II. This raise demonstrates Bay Point’s commitment to providing innovative investment solutions in the litigation finance sector.

The newly raised capital will be deployed to identify, invest, and support allocations across several litigation strategies, including primary and secondary mass tort acquisition, mass arbitrations, and single event cases.

“This marks a significant milestone in our 12-year journey. Bay Point Legal Fund II advances our initial vision for the firm of offering uncorrelated investment opportunities. We are excited to leverage our team’s expertise in litigation finance to continue our growth trajectory and deliver value for our investors,” said Charles Andros, President and Chief Investment Officer at Bay Point Advisors.

Bay Point Legal has a team of experienced professionals who possess deep expertise in legal, financial, and operational aspects of litigation finance. Bay Point believes that its investment approach and extensive network enable the firm to identify and capitalize on high-value opportunities.

Sean Coleman, Managing Director of Bay Point’s Legal Finance strategy, stated, “We are excited about the closing of Bay Point Legal Fund II. We have substantial capital to make an impact in the quickly evolving litigation finance vertical. Fund II will build on the creative and diversified, equity-type, mass tort investments made in Fund I while also expanding into new investment opportunities such as hybrid torts, abuse cases, mass arbitrations and single events. The fund has the potential to provide returns uncorrelated to equity markets, while also helping deliver equitable compensation to claimants who previously had limited avenues to justice.”

About Bay Point Advisors:

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Bay Point Advisors is a privately held investment firm with a strategic focus on niche markets often underserved by traditional financial institutions. Bay Point’s broad investment criteria allows for a dynamic response to market shifts. Committed to meeting the evolving needs of clients, Bay Point specializes in the prompt delivery of tailor-made capital.

About Bay Point Legal:

Bay Point Legal is the litigation finance arm of Bay Point Advisors. Specializing in equity investments in mass torts, single events, and mass arbitrations, the fund is dedicated to providing solutions that deliver strong returns while making a positive impact on the lives of those affected by corporate negligence. The legal fund leverages extensive industry experience and a robust network to identify, invest, and manage risk-adjusted investments in litigation finance.

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Bryant Park Capital Secures $100 Million in Capital for Deminor

By John Freund |

Bryant Park Capital (“BPC”), announced today that Deminor Recovery Services (“Deminor”), a leading privately-owned global litigation funder, recently closed on an approximately $100,000,000 committed senior credit facility and asset-backed financing with two leading U.S. based asset managers focused on the legal assets industry.

BPC, a leading US-based middle market investment bank, served as the exclusive financial advisor to Deminor in connection with this transaction.

“Bryant Park Capital’s extensive knowledge of the financing markets, combined with their strong relationships and creative structuring capability have been invaluable and helped us complete this complex set of transactions that we believe will be transformative for our clients, employees and shareholders, reflecting how our business model and international footprint has expanded since our first external capital raise in 2021. Significantly, these investments, made on Deminor’s own balance sheet, will continue to enable Deminor to deliver fast decision-making and flexible funding terms, with final investment decisions resting with our Investment Committee. Bryant Park Capital has been an excellent partner for us and we greatly appreciate BPC’s guidance and support throughout the process,” said Erik Bomans – CEO, Deminor.

Commenting on Deminor’s platform and performance, Joel Magerman, Bryant Park Capital’s Managing Partner added, “Deminor has generated significant returns extending through multiple market cycles as a leading player in the litigation funding sector, and this capital raise will provide an opportunity to significantly expand the operating leverage of the Deminor platform internationally.

About Deminor

Founded in 1990, Deminor is a leading privately-owned global litigation funder with 9 offices across continental Europe, London, New York, and Hong Kong.

Deminor has funded cases across four continents and 22 jurisdictions spanning 18 case categories as a leader in investment recovery, anti-trust, collective consumer, and commercial tort across 25 industries.

For more information about Deminor, please visit www.deminor.com.

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