Trending Now
Announcements Consumer

Leading US firm Pogust Millrood merges into global firm PGMBM

Leading US mass tort and personal injury firm Pogust Millrood is to merge into the rapidly expanding international operation of global firm PGMBM.

Pogust Millrood LLC, one of the leading mass tort and personal injury firms in the US, will merge with sister firm, global powerhouse PGMBM, as of today (01 December 2021).

The merger will see the existing Pogust Millrood operation incorporated into the rapidly expanding PGMBM organisation, with a US operation that will now include offices in Philadelphia and Miami. Globally, PGMBM now boasts over 100 lawyers and 500 staff in countries including the US, the UK (London, Liverpool and Edinburgh), the Netherlands (Amsterdam) and Brazil (São Paulo and Belo Horizonte).

Pogust Millrood was founded in 2005 and for the last 16 years has focused on mass tort and consumer class actions. In 2010, the firm was named one of the top Plaintiffs’ Product Liability Firms of the Year by Law360. The award recognised Pogust Millrood as one of the top firms of the year garnering “substantial verdicts against pharmaceutical heavyweights” and obtaining “multi-million dollar verdicts for their clients”.

Pogust Millrood was class counsel and instrumental in the $1.15billion Pigford II settlement, where it assisted thousands of African-American farmers in claims that the US federal government had discriminated against them in applications to participate in agricultural programs. The firm played a critical role in the $1.4billion dollar settlement for victims of devastating side effects from the Stryker metal-on-metal Rejuvenate Modular-Neck and ABG II Modular-Neck hip implants. It is also currently lead counsel in the Pennsylvania-wide opioid litigation pending in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, helping deliver a settlement that could provide $1billion to affected communities.

PGMBM is a partnership between British, American and Brazilian lawyers passionate about championing justice for the victims of wrongdoing by large corporations. The firm is at the cutting edge of international consumer claims, including leading group cases against:

  • Mercedes, Volkswagen, and other automotive firms over diesel emissions scandals

  • British Airways and easyJet in cases related to breaches of personal data

  • Several of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies over the harmful risks associated with their drugs and medical devices

PGMBM is also a leader in environmental litigation, leading proceedings on behalf of over 200,000 victims of two major Brazilian tragedies – the 2015 Mariana Dam disaster and the 2019 Brumadinho Dam disaster, litigating against mining giant BHP and German technical services firm TÜV SÜD respectively.

Harris Pogust, Pogust Millrood Partner and Chairman of PGMBM, said: “Over the last 15 years, we have developed Pogust Millrood into one of the top mass tort firms in the US. We have helped defend the rights of those who cannot defend themselves against the misdeeds of big business.

“Not long ago, I had the opportunity to start a sister firm, PGMBM, with an amazing group of lawyers, including an amazing barrister, Tom Goodhead, and trail-blazing Brazilian lawyers Tomás Mousinho and Pedro Martins.

“In four years we have grown PGMBM into a firm with more than 500 employees and counting across several countries. I am beyond proud of the work we are doing and will do in the future, representing the oppressed and those whose access to justice is difficult.

“Environmental tragedies, human rights violations and personal harm inflicted by some of the world’s largest corporations. The credo of PGMBM is to find justice for these people no matter how far we have to go to obtain that justice.

“As with anything in life people and law firms grow and change. This merger is the next step in that cycle. Now is the time to bring our amazing team at Pogust Millrood under the PGMBM umbrella and share our joint experiences and knowledge to help those in need of our assistance not just in the US but across the globe.”

Announcements

View All
Announcements Comercial Legal Innovation

Sentry Expands Free Funding Market Search for Litigators

By John Freund |

Sentry Funding’s free tool enabling litigators to instantly search the funding market on behalf of clients has been expanded.

Sentry’s free ‘decision in principle’ feature enables lawyers to evidence to clients that they have conducted a broad market search, even if funding is not ultimately taken out.

Having deployed £125m in funding across a range of case types, Sentry now has access to an even broader funding marketplace, covering 34 global jurisdictions. Finance is provided by 13 funders, five of which are members of the Association of Litigation Funders.

With the recent addition of Sentry’s first US-based funder, the US offering will now be expanding over the next few months. 

A faster process

Sentry has deployed the latest technology to make the search for funding even easier. 

  • The intuitive application process now only asks questions relevant to previous answers, saving lawyers time.
  • The commercial marketplace has been redeveloped with 63 new data points added to the funder criteria matrix - improving the accuracy of case / funder matching
  • Sentry has also begun building out its AI capabilities, starting with an automated auditing tool for live case progression audits. 

Tom Webster, chief executive officer at Sentry Funding, said:

‘By broadening our reach and speeding up the process, we’re making it even easier for lawyers to raise funding. We’re also giving litigators an easy way to show clients they have fully researched the market, rather than just approaching one or two funders. 

‘The service is free to use, so even if clients decide they do not ultimately want funding or if none is available for that case, for the lawyer, it makes sense to use our “decision in principle” feature, so they can put evidence on file that they did check the market.’

Sentry Funding is an SaaS (software as a service) technology provider that gives solicitors access to a diverse marketplace of litigation funders. It works with solicitors, funders and third-party providers to ensure claimants are getting the most efficient service for their funding needs. 

The Sentry Portal also acts as a case management system that runs a transparent digital case file for solicitors, funders, after-the-event insurance providers, barristers, cost lawyers and other relevant third parties.

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.