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Announcements Commercial

Gowling WLG Partner James Foster to Join Augusta Ventures

Augusta, the largest litigation and dispute funding institution in the UK – with £150m of capital and a team of 70 in London – today announces the appointment of James Foster as Head of Commercial and Bilateral Investment Treaties Arbitration. He will be based in Augusta’s London office from April 2019.

James joins from international law firm Gowling WLG (formerly Wragge Lawrence Graham) where he heads the Middle East Arbitration and Construction Disputes practice, having started the Lawrence Graham office in Dubai in 2007.

James has consistently been ranked by the Chambers Global Directory as one of the UAE’s leading construction disputes lawyers and is Vice-Chairman of the Society of Construction Law (Gulf). He has taken a keen interest in the development of funding solutions for international arbitration both in the Middle East and more widely and he is the lead author of the UAE chapter in the Guide to Litigation Funding, a global survey of the law and practice of third-party funding. Before moving to Dubai James also spent over 10 years focusing on dispute resolution in the South East Asia region.

Commenting on the appointment, Louis Young, Managing Director at Augusta said: “We’re delighted to welcome James to Augusta. With his wide experience of high value international arbitration claims, James will play a key role in developing our involvement in this important and growing sector”.

James Foster commented: “I am very pleased to be part of the continued expansion of Augusta’s operations given the exciting opportunities for further development of the arbitration funding market both in the UK and internationally. I am very much looking forward to working with Augusta’s capable team in this area and to helping develop a market leading practice”.

About Augusta Ventures

  • Established in 2013, Augusta is the largest litigation and dispute funding institution in the UK – with £150m of capital and a team of 70 in London and 85 worldwide. Augusta’s scale enables us to make decisions in market-leading timeframes and fund cases of any size.
  • Augusta is organised into a series of specialist practice groups: Arbitration, Class Action, Competition, Consumer, Intellectual Property and Litigation, and sectors including Financial Services and Construction & Energy.
  • By the end of 2018, Augusta had funded 197 claims with a market leading win ratio of 80%.

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Announcements Commercial

International Legal Finance Association Adds Certum to Mark 30 Member Companies

By Harry Moran |

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA), the only global association of commercial legal finance companies, announced that it has added its 30th member company to the association –Certum Group. 

Certum Group specializes in comprehensive alternative litigation strategies, such as litigation buyout insurance, judgment preservation insurance, litigation funding, class action settlement insurance, adverse judgment insurance, and claim monetization. The Texas-based Certum Group team includes litigation and insurance professionals along with risk mitigation specialists. 

“We are delighted to join ILFA and help it engage with policymakers interested in litigation finance,” said William Marra, a Director at Certum Group who leads the company’s litigation finance efforts. “Funding helps people and companies with strong legal claims get better access to the courts. We are excited to work with IFLA and ensure policymakers continue to encourage rather than restrict companies’ access to commercial legal finance.” 

“We’re delighted that Certum is joining ILFA’s growing membership”, said Rupert Cunningham, ILFA’s Global Director of Growth and Membership Engagement. “Certum already provides a lot of thought leadership on litigation funding and other matters, and they will make a great addition to ILFA’s work to support the sector in the US and globally.” 

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.

Announcements Commercial People Moves

Angeion Group Makes Significant Additions to its Board of Directors

By Harry Moran |

Angeion Group, a leading provider of legal notice and settlement administration services, today announced the addition of three independent members to its Board of Directors. This milestone underscores Angeion's strategic growth trajectory and commitment to strong governance, innovation, and operational excellence. 

The newly appointed board members are three highly accomplished executives whose leadership has shaped the modern legal and professional services industries: 

  • Rich Antoneck, Chief Executive Officer of Veritext Legal Solutions, leads the largest deposition and alternative dispute resolution firm in North America. Antoneck brings more than 20 years of private equity-backed executive leadership, including prior roles as CFO of Accuity Solutions and SourceMedia. 
  • David Perla, Vice Chair of Burford Capital, is a recognized innovator in legal services. Formerly President of Bloomberg Law and co-founder of Pangea3 (acquired by Thomson Reuters), Perla oversees policy, marketing, and industry engagement at Burford. 
  • Lou Andreozzi, former Chairman of Bloomberg Law and CEO of LexisNexis North American Legal Markets, is a legal tech pioneer. He has driven growth and product innovation at Martindale-Hubbell and continues to serve as a trusted advisor and board member across private equity and legal-tech ventures. 

"This board brings together an exceptional combination of legal acumen, business strategy, and operational expertise," said Lee Minkoff, Managing Director at Renovus Capital Partners, the private equity sponsor of Angeion Group. "Angeion is operating at the forefront of legal administration, and this step reinforces our confidence in the company's leadership, vision, and continued trajectory of operational excellence and growth." 

Our growth has always been fueled by bold thinking and relentless execution, and the addition of Rich, David, and Lou takes that to the next level," said Steven Weisbrot, President and CEO of Angeion Group. "Each has fundamentally shaped the way legal services are delivered - from litigation finance to legal tech and professional services at scale. Their insights will help us sharpen our strategy, deepen client impact, and push the boundaries of legal administration. 

About Angeion Group 

Angeion Group is an industry leader in legal notice and settlement administration, known for its use of technology, analytics, and hands-on client support to execute efficient, compliant, and effective legal administration services. With a proven track record in class action, mass tort, and bankruptcy administration, Angeion continues to redefine industry standards through precision, transparency, and innovation.

Announcements Consumer

Legal-Bay Launches Innovative Attorney Case Cost Funding

By Harry Moran |

Legal-Bay Pre-settlement Lawsuit Funding, a longtime leader in presettlement and legal funding, has unveiled a new financing program designed to help attorneys cover the high costs of building and preparing cases for trial without relying on bank loans or credit lines.

Case costs can include everything from medical records to expert witnesses to life care plans to court fees. Legal-Bay's funding lessens the upfront financial strain by providing capital that's only repaid if the lawsuit is successful, and gives legal professionals fast, flexible access to extra money when they need it most. The program allows attorneys to secure resources for experts, depositions, court filings, and other necessary expenses without tying up firm assets or tapping into their own expense accounts.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal Bay, says, "Legal-Bay's attorney or law firm case cost funding program is tailored to help small and medium firms get the ball across the goal line to win big cases. We are a resource for lawyers nationwide to utilize case cost funding when cash flow is tight, without long underwriting processes, credit checks or monthly payments.  Best of all, our non-recourse funding means you only pay if you win the case."

If you're a lawyer or law firm in need of extra case cost funding in advance of your case's anticipated settlement award, you can apply HERE or call: 877.571.0405

With nearly 20 years of experience in legal finance, Legal-Bay has earned the trust of thousands of attorneys and law firms across the country. The company's commitment to fast approvals, transparent terms, and case-first evaluations has made it a go-to resource for professionals seeking a smarter way to manage litigation costs.

Legal-Bay is one of the best legal funding companies in the industry, known for their helpful staff and quick turnaround. They fund almost every type of lawsuit including personal injury, slips and falls, sexual discrimination, assault, or abuse, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful incarceration, and more. While sometimes legal funding is referred to as loans on lawsuit or lawsuit loans, there are no credit checks or collateral required. The money is an immediate cash advance against a plaintiff's anticipated settlement award, not a conventional loan. The non-recourse lawsuit funding is risk-free, as the money doesn't need to be repaid should the recipient lose their case.

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