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IMF Bentham upsizes Funds in response to market demand for investment funding

SYDNEY (31 January 2019):  Leading global litigation and dispute financier IMF Bentham Limited (ASX: IMF) (IMF) announced today it is approaching investment targets for two of its funding vehicles ahead of schedule and has successfully increased the capacity of these vehicles to meet strong market demand for investment funding.


IMF launched Funds 2 & 3 (known as ‘RoW’ Funds) in October 2017 with A$150 million to fund cases across Australia, Asia, Canada and Europe. In the coming months, IMF aims to launch the additional RoW Fund (Fund 5) to fund future cases in these regions. IMF has committed all of the ‘RoW’ Funds capital and has now upsized the ‘RoW’ Funds to A$180 million to meet demand prior to the launch of Fund 5. Investors (Partners Capital, Amitell Capital and IMF) have committed the additional A$30 million.

Demand for funding is evident across all of the jurisdictions in which IMF operates, particularly in Canada and Asia, where contemporary third-party finance is relatively new and IMF is rapidly establishing a market and a leading presence.

This upsizing brings IMF’s total Funds under Management to approximately A$1.1 billion. By the end of FY19 we anticipate IMF’s total global Funds under Management will exceed A$1.5 billion – cementing IMF’s position as one of the largest litigation and dispute financiers in the world.

IMF Managing Director and CEO, Andrew Saker said: “These developments reflect investor confidence in litigation finance as an asset class and confidence in IMF in particular.  They also confirm the increasing appetite for dispute finance across the legal and other industry sectors. Dispute finance is increasingly becoming a mainstream option for organisations wishing to defray the cost and risk of litigation.”

More: See ASX announcement here.

ABOUT IMF BENTHAM LTD 

IMF is one of the leading global litigation & dispute financiers, headquartered in Australia and with offices in the US, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong and London.  IMF has built its reputation as a trusted provider of innovative litigation funding solutions and has established an increasingly diverse portfolio of litigation & dispute financing assets.

IMF has been a leading pioneer of litigation financing in Australia since 2001, playing a significant role in the initial steps towards a globalised industry via its international expansion in the US, Canada, Asia and Europe. IMF has a highly experienced litigation funding team overseeing its investments delivering, as at 30 June 2018, a 90% success rate across 179 completed cases.

For further information regarding IMF and its activities, please visit www.imf.com.au.

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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.

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.

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.