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Community Spotlight: Aisling Byrne, Co-Founder, Nera Capital

By John Freund |
February 25, 2025

Community Spotlight: Aisling Byrne, Co-Founder, Nera Capital

Aisling Byrne is the Co-Founder of Nera Capital, a pioneering legal funding provider reshaping the landscape of litigation finance. Hailing from Ireland, she co-founded Nera Capital in response to the financial challenges following the 2008 global economic downturn, recognising the need for innovative funding solutions to support law firms and their clients.

With deep expertise in litigation finance, she has driven Nera Capital’s expansion into the UK consumer market while spearheading commercial litigation funding across Europe and the USA. Under her leadership, the firm has played a pivotal role in funding landmark actions in many jurisdictions. Beyond her professional achievements, Aisling is a passionate equestrian, competing internationally in showjumping with a talented string of horses.

Company Name: Nera Capital

Company Description: Founded in 2011, Nera Capital was established with a bold vision – to revolutionise legal finance by seamlessly integrating modern technology with traditional values. By funding essential disbursements, Nera Capital empowers law firms to pursue justice without financial constraints, ensuring that clients can access the legal representation they deserve.

With a proven track record of delivering pragmatic funding solutions, Nera has helped partner firms achieve remarkable growth in a short time. More than just a funder, Nera Capital serves as a strategic partner, leveraging its industry expertise, technology and extensive network to drive success for its clients.

Company Website: neracapital.com

Year Founded: 2011

Headquarters: Ireland, with offices in Manchester and The Netherlands

Areas of Focus: Nera Capital provides Law Firm funding across a diverse range of claim portfolios, including Financial Mis-selling, Data Breach, Personal Injury, and more. Always at the forefront of legal finance, Nera continually explores new claim types and remains open to innovative funding opportunities.

Member Quote: “When it comes to litigation funding, strategy and collaboration are key. A well-structured funding solution requires more than just financial backing – it demands a deep understanding of legal complexities, a forward-thinking approach, and a team that is both skilled and adaptable. At Nera Capital, we believe in building long-term partnerships with law firms, providing them with not just capital, but also the strategic guidance and support needed to navigate challenges and maximise success. By combining financial and technical expertise with a keen insight into evolving legal landscapes, we ensure that meritorious claims receive the investment they need to deliver justice.”

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John Freund

John Freund

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Pogust Goodhead Appoints Jonathan Edward Wheeler as Partner and Head of Mariana Litigation

By John Freund |

Pogust Goodhead law firm has appointed Jonathan Edward Wheeler as a partner and Head of Mariana Litigation, adding heavyweight firepower to the team driving one of the largest group claims in English legal history following the firm’s landmark liability win against BHP in the English courts.

Jonathan joins Pogust Goodhead from Morrison Foerster in London, where he was a leading commercial litigation partner, having served for seven years as office co-managing partner and for 15 years as Head of Litigation. A specialist in complex, cross-border disputes, Jonathan has extensive experience acting in high-value commercial litigation, civil fraud and asset tracing, international trust disputes, contentious insolvency and investigations across multiple jurisdictions.

In his new role, Jonathan will assume strategic leadership of the proceedings arising from the Mariana dam disaster against mining giant BHP, overseeing the continued development of the case into the damages phase and working closely with colleagues in Brazil, the UK, the Netherlands and beyond.

Howard Morris, Chairman at Pogust Goodhead said: “Jonathan is a heavyweight addition to Pogust Goodhead and to our Mariana team. His track record in running some of the most complex cross-border disputes in the English courts, together with his leadership experience, make him exactly the kind of senior figure we need after our historic liability victory. Our clients will benefit enormously from his expertise and judgment.”

Jonathan Wheeler said: “It is a privilege to join Pogust Goodhead at such a pivotal moment in the Mariana case. The recent liability judgment is a watershed for access to justice and corporate accountability. I am honoured to help lead the next phase of this extraordinary litigation and to work alongside a team that has shown such determination in seeking justice for hundreds of thousands of victims.”

Alicia Alinia, CEO at Pogust Goodhead said: “Bringing in lawyers of Jonathan’s calibre is a strategic choice. As we expand the depth and breadth of our disputes practice globally, we are investing in senior talent who can help us deliver justice at scale for our clients and build an even more resilient firm.”

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

Commercial

APCIA Urges House to Pass Litigation Funding Disclosure Reforms

By John Freund |

The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) is renewing its call for Congress to advance two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing transparency in third-party litigation funding (TPLF). According to a recent article in Insurance Journal, APCIA is backing the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025 (H.R. 1109) and the Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act of 2025 (H.R. 2675) as key reforms for federal civil litigation.

An article in Insurance Journal reports that the House Judiciary Committee is expected to mark up both bills, which would require disclosure of TPLF in federal cases, and in the case of H.R. 2675, bar foreign governments and sovereign-wealth funds from investing in U.S. litigation. APCIA’s senior vice president for federal government relations described the measures as bringing “needed transparency for one of the largest cost drivers of insurance premiums — third-party litigation funding.”

In support of its advocacy, APCIA cited research from the consulting firm The Perryman Group, which estimated that excess tort costs in the U.S. amount to $368 billion annually — with each household absorbing roughly $2,437 in additional costs per year across items such as home and auto insurance and prescriptions.

While tax reform efforts once included proposals targeting funder profits, budget-rule constraints prevented those from advancing.

Commercial

Burford Capital Underscores Data‑Driven Settlement Strategies

By John Freund |

Burford Capital and Solomonic explore how seasoned funders and advisers can bring precision to the settlement table in high‑stakes disputes.

An article on Burford’s website states that the joint webinar, hosted by James MacKinnon (Burford) and Edward Bird (Solomonic), featured experts from Herbert  Smith  Freehills  Kramer, Pallas  Partners and Dectech to discuss how analytics can reshape settlement strategy. The piece highlights that large‑value disputes often take far longer and face steeper odds of success — not because high‑value claims are inherently weaker, but because risk‑seeking behaviour tends to dominate when the stakes rise.

Burford explains its method of translating a multi‑headed claim into a “weighted average damages outcome,” then discounting for trial risk, appellate risk, enforcement risk and cost of capital to arrive at a present‑day valuation. In one example, a claim with a theoretical maximum of US$500 million was valued at just under US$76 million after risk‑adjustment — meaning a settlement at or above that number would objectively represent success given the circumstances.

The article also reflects on the evolving role of AI and analytics. While data models are improving, Burford cautions that predictive systems remain dependent on data quality and expert inputs — underscoring that modelling alone is not a substitute for judgment and experience.