Longford Capital, a leader in the commercial litigation finance industry, today announced that on May 31, 2021, Laura P. Pearl will begin her retirement and transition to a senior advisor role with the firm. Ms. Pearl has been Longford’s Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer since 2016.
“Laura has made an indelible mark on our firm’s growth and progress, and the leadership role it plays in the global litigation finance industry,” said Timothy S. Farrell, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Longford Capital. “The Longford team is grateful for Laura’s financial acuity, tireless commitment, and hard work, and looks forward to continuing to benefit from her advice and friendship.”
As part of its succession planning process, Longford will elevate Joshua A. Leavitt to Managing Director and Chief Financial Oofficer, also on May 31. After a national search, Longford added Mr. Leavitt late last year as Chief Accounting Officer. He has worked closely with Ms. Pearl, part of a careful predetermined plan to prepare for her retirement and transition to her new role.
“It’s been a privilege to contribute to the growth of Longford Capital, and by doing so also participate in a richly innovative element of our legal system,” said Ms. Pearl. “I am particularly proud of how we’ve attracted new talent and scaled our team to accommodate the growing demand for our capital. I’m grateful to be handing the CFO title to a talented leader like Josh.”
“Since joining Longford, I’ve been impressed by the sophistication of its business and strong collegiality of its team,” said Josh. “Laura’s contributions are palpable. It is an honor for me to step into her shoes, and I look forward to having her ongoing counsel.”
Mr. Leavitt was CFO of Math Venture Partners Management, LLC, an early-stage venture capital firm, where he upgraded and institutionalized back-office operations and investor reporting processes. He was previously a founding member of the executive team at JHL Capital Group, where as CFO and Executive Vice President for Operations, he built the middle and back-office infrastructure needed to enable the alternative asset manager’s growth from approximately $11 million to more than $2 billion in AUM. He also co-founded Zoku Technologies, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) secure online vault business, where he served as CEO, and held senior positions in other high-growth ventures. Mr. Leavitt earned his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a registered CPA and has held Series 7 and 63 licenses.
About Longford Capital
Longford Capital is a leading private investment company that provides capital to leading law firms, public and private companies, universities, government agencies, and other entities involved in large-scale, commercial legal disputes. Longford was one of the first litigation funds in the United States and is among the world’s largest litigation finance companies with more than $1 billion in assets under management. Typically, Longford funds attorneys’ fees and other costs necessary to pursue meritorious legal claims in return for a share of a favorable settlement or award. The firm manages a diversified portfolio, and considers investments in subject matter areas where it has developed considerable expertise, including, business-to-business contract claims, antitrust and trade regulation claims, intellectual property claims (including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret), fiduciary duty claims, fraud claims, claims in bankruptcy and liquidation, domestic and international arbitrations, claim monetizations, insurance recovery matters, and a variety of others.
