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Member Spotlight: Wendie Childress

Member Spotlight: Wendie Childress

Wendie Childress is an experienced commercial trial lawyer and litigation funder with an extensive and deep network across the U.S. legal and funding market. She joined Westfleet Advisors in 2023 after years of working with funding pioneers at Validity Finance and well over a decade of practicing commercial litigation at powerhouse boutique Yetter Coleman, one of the nation’s premier boutique trial law firms.
In her private practice, Wendie had a winning track record representing both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial disputes across a variety of industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, and IT. She graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her JD in 2000. She then served for two years as General Counsel to the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce. Wendie has been named to the Lawdragon “Global 100 Leaders in Litigation Finance” list and a “Houston Top Lawyer” in Business & Commercial Litigation by H Texas Magazine. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Bar Foundation, Houston Bar Association, and Women of Litigation Finance Steering Committee. Company Name and Description:  Westfleet Advisors is the most experienced litigation finance advisory firm in the world. Our core mission is to make litigation finance work better for lawyers and their clients by equipping them with the transparency, expertise, and resources they need to secure the best terms with the right capital partner. Company Website:  https://www.westfleetadvisors.com/ Year Founded: 2013 Headquarters: Nashville Area of Focus: As Managing Director and Counsel in the Westfleet Advisors Houston office, Wendie works directly with clients and their counsel in evaluating opportunities for litigation finance transactions and advising and shepherding them through all stages of the process to ensure that they get the best possible experience and terms. Member Quote: “As a former trial lawyer and member of the litigation funding community, I have seen firsthand the need for balanced access to justice for all litigants and how funding presents an innovative and valuable way to mitigate risk and bring good cases to trial. I am so impressed with the quality of counsel and professionals within the litigation funding industry who are a pleasure to work with and eager to partner with firms and help clients succeed. I also see sweeping changes across the industry as it matures and evolves with intra-market movement, new entrants appearing daily, and new and creative solutions being derived to meet the market’s changing needs. As a member of the Westfleet team, my goal is to help clients and their counsel navigate this dynamic industry to have successful outcomes with their funding experience and ultimately, their cases.”

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Katch Liquidates Consumer Claims Fund Amid Mounting Delays and Pressure

By John Freund |

Katch Fund Solutions, one of the most prominent players in consumer litigation funding, has placed its consumer claims fund into liquidation.

According to Legal Futures, the move comes in response to mounting liquidity pressures caused by prolonged delays in resolving motor-finance claims and increased uncertainty surrounding major group litigation efforts. The Luxembourg-based fund confirmed it is winding down the portfolio and returning capital to investors on a pro-rata basis.

Katch had been a key backer of large-scale consumer legal claims in the UK, supporting firms such as SSB Law and McDermott Smith Law. Both firms ultimately collapsed, with SSB Law owing £63 million including £16 million in interest, and McDermott Smith Law owing £7 million. Katch’s portfolio also included a substantial stake in the ongoing “Plevin” litigation, a group of cases alleging unfair undisclosed commissions tied to the sale of payment protection insurance. That litigation, initially estimated at £18 billion in value, suffered a blow earlier this year when the High Court declined to grant a group litigation order, further delaying resolution timelines.

The firm’s consumer claims fund held over £400 million in assets as of mid-2025, but was hit hard by increasing investor redemption requests. Katch’s team cited concerns that payouts from major motor-finance cases could be delayed until 2026 or later due to regulatory and judicial developments. With limited short-term liquidity options, the fund concluded that an orderly wind-down was the only viable path forward.

Omni Bridgeway Backs New Zealand Class Action Against Transpower, Omexom

By John Freund |

Omni Bridgeway is backing a newly launched class action in New Zealand targeting Transpower New Zealand Limited and its contractor Omexom, following a major regional blackout that occurred in June 2024.

According to Omni's website, the outage, which affected approximately 180,000 residents and 20,000 businesses across Northland, was triggered by the collapse of a transmission tower near Glorit during maintenance activity conducted by Omexom.

Filed in the High Court in Wellington by law firms LeeSalmonLong and Piper Alderman, the case alleges negligence on the part of both defendants. The plaintiffs claim that Transpower failed to adequately oversee the maintenance, and that Omexom mishandled the work that led to the tower’s collapse.

The class action is proceeding on an opt-out basis, meaning all impacted Northland businesses are automatically included unless they choose otherwise. Under Omni Bridgeway’s funding model, there are no upfront costs to class members, and fees are contingent on a successful outcome.

The economic impact of the outage has been pegged between NZ$60 million and NZ$80 million, according to various estimates, with businesses reporting power losses lasting up to three days and in some cases longer. In the aftermath of the blackout, Transpower and Omexom jointly contributed NZ$1 million to a resilience fund for affected communities, a figure the plaintiffs argue is woefully inadequate compared to the losses incurred.

Loopa Finance Joins ILFA, Strengthening Global Legal Finance Reach

By John Freund |

The International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) has added Loopa Finance to its membership, marking another step in the trade association’s strategic expansion across Latin America and continental Europe. The announcement highlights ILFA’s continued efforts to support the growth of responsible legal finance and its positioning as the leading global voice for commercial litigation funders.

According to a press release issued by ILFA, the addition of Loopa Finance — formerly known as Qanlex — is seen as a major milestone in expanding the organization’s presence in key regional markets. Founded in 2020, Loopa operates across Latin America and Europe and specializes in litigation and arbitration funding, with a focus on innovative, risk-sharing funding models that utilize analytics and technology. The company’s inclusion brings further regional expertise to ILFA’s growing international network.

ILFA’s Director of Growth and Membership Engagement, Rupert Cunningham, emphasized the importance of Latin America’s rapidly evolving legal finance landscape, noting that Loopa’s entry will help enhance advocacy efforts with national governments and the European Union. Juliana Giorgi, General Counsel for Latin America at Loopa, echoed the sentiment, stating that joining ILFA reflects the company’s commitment to professionalism, transparency, and the development of a responsible funding ecosystem.

This move comes at a time when legal finance continues to professionalize globally, with trade associations like ILFA playing a crucial role in shaping regulatory conversations and establishing best practices. The addition of a cross-border funder like Loopa underscores the increasing global alignment within the commercial legal finance sector and raises questions about how funders will navigate differing regulatory environments while pursuing expansion.