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Former NPR General Counsel and CEO of Texas Public Radio Joyce Slocum Joins Board of Directors of Validity Finance

Litigation funder Validity Finance has announced that Joyce D. Slocum, currently President and CEO of Texas Public Radio, has joined its board of directors.


Ms. Slocum began her career practicing law with prominent law firms based in Dallas, Texas.  She soon moved into an in-house practice, spending almost 10 years at The Southland Corporation, and later serving for more than 14 years as general counsel and head of global legal and business affairs for HIT Entertainment.  She joined NPR as General Counsel in 2008, continuing in that role until being appointed Interim President and CEO in 2011.  She culminated her time at NPR as Chief Administrative Officer from 2012 through 2013. Slocum has served President and CEO of Texas Public Radio for eight years.  Shortly after assuming that role, she was elected to the NPR Board of Directors, including as the chair of its Audit Committee, which oversees the company’s litigation and risk management matters.

“I have known Joyce for over 25 years, and have observed her business acumen and innovation in all of her many legal and management roles.  She brings to Validity a keen understanding of how in-house counsel view litigation strategy, planning and budgeting.  Her views will be a valuable complement to the perspective of retained counsel that Allen Fagin, former managing partner of Proskauer Rose, brings to the board,” said Validity CEO Ralph Sutton.

“Litigation finance is a significant tool to help increase access to the courts for companies that seek to bring affirmative litigation, in addition to dealing with matters they are obligated to defend,” Ms. Slocum commented.  “The mitigation of risk and additional control over budget and timing of expense can be immensely helpful to in-house counsel in crafting and obtaining management buy-in to a strategic plan to protect a company’s assets. I’m pleased to join the Validity board because I believe their client-centric approach to the opportunities provided by this emerging industry will appeal to in-house practitioners.”

Ms. Slocum’s appointment to the Validity board followed shortly after its announcement that it has raised a new managed fund of $70 million – the firm’s second “sidecar fund – alongside its permanent capital.

In addition to Slocum and Fagin, Validity’s board is comprised of Jonathan Bilzin, Co-President, managing director of TowerBrook Capital Partners; Michael Carpenter, former chair/CEO of Citigroup Alternative Investments; Dewey Shay, CEO/founder, Unison Site Management; and Ralph Sutton, CEO, Validity Finance.

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Announcements Comercial

NorthWall Capital Hits €2.9 B AUM on Private Credit Momentum

By John Freund |

NorthWall Capital has rocketed past €2.9 billion in assets under management after pulling in an additional €1.6 billion of institutional capital in 2025 alone. The London-based alternative credit manager says the surge reflects allocators’ intensifying hunt for scaled, multi-strategy platforms as Europe’s banks retrench and borrowers seek bespoke sources of credit.

A press release from NorthWall Capital details first-close totals across four distinct strategies. The flagship Credit Opportunities fund secured €731 million—already eclipsing its prior vintage—while the newly launched Senior Lending vehicle raised $503 million, translating to roughly $750 million of deployable firepower once leverage is applied. Asset-Backed Opportunities collected €252 million for collateral-rich loans in sectors underserved by traditional lenders, and the specialist Legal Assets platform locked down $169 million to extend the firm’s law-firm lending programme.

Founder and CIO Fabian Chrobog said the fundraising validates “the consistency of our approach” and NorthWall’s ability to craft solutions that resonate with investors and counterparties alike. With headcount slated to hit 40 by year-end, the firm plans to lean further into complex, situational credit born of bank deleveraging, regulatory shifts and sponsors’ need for certainty of execution.

Announcements Comercial People Moves

Victory Park Expands Legal Credit Leadership with Maleson Promotion

By John Freund |

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

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

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

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

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

Announcements Consumer

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

By John Freund |

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

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

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

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