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NEW LITIGATION FINANCE FIRM – LEX FERENDA LITIGATION FUNDING – EXECUTES SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH; EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS AT FIRST CLOSE

NEW LITIGATION FINANCE FIRM – LEX FERENDA LITIGATION FUNDING – EXECUTES SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH; EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS AT FIRST CLOSE

Lex Ferenda Litigation Funding LLC “LF2” is pleased to announce that it recently launched commercial funding operations after completing the first capital close for its Lex Ferenda Litigation Funding Master Fund. The Fund, which will focus its investments on US litigation and domestic commercial arbitration, welcomed several institutional investors whose commitments to LF2 exceeded initial expectations, and brought the Fund substantially closer to its USD $100 million+ target. LF2 is co-founded by Michael German, a veteran litigator and litigation funder with more than a decade of experience resolving high-value, complex commercial litigation, and Chris Baildon, a financial services expert with more than 30 years of industry experience. “We are incredibly excited to officially announce our commercial launch and look forward to being disruptive to the litigation finance industry,” said Michael German, LF2’s Chief Investment Officer. “We have created an investment platform at LF2 that permits us to quickly assess and make informed, data-driven decisions about the potential litigation investments we consider. The resulting transparent, client-focused investment process, which is driven by true subject-matter experts, makes LF2 a trusted partner and advisor for our clients and the law firms that represent them,” said German. “In addition, our industry access and deep bench of seasoned litigators and investors make LF2 a trusted investment manager for the Fund’s investor-base as well,” said Chris Baildon, LF2’s Chief Operating Officer. LF2 Differentiates Through Niche Focus and Veteran Team of Industry Professionals LF2 is a privately held investment management firm, with a focus on the litigation, legal, and litigation support and technology markets. As manager, LF2 is primarily focused on single-case investments in US commercial litigation and domestic commercial arbitration, with sizes ranging between USD $1 million and $10 million, although LF2 retains discretion to make all manner of investments on behalf of the Fund. LF2 brings to market one of the most flexible funding mechanisms currently available, with the ability to assess and invest in claims at any point along the dispute resolution life cycle and with flexible guidelines on law firm and client co-investment. “We created the investment program at LF2 to specifically address the lack of focus on the customer across the industry,” said German. “LF2 solves for this by creating a unique and individualized funding plan for each investment as assessed from the perspective of each of the investment’s underlying stakeholders. Our experience shows us that this yields the greatest outcomes for our clients,” said German. Executive Team Michael German – Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer Michael is one of the co-founders of and the Chief Investment Officer at LF2. He is primarily responsible for the firm’s strategic direction, investments, and fund risk management. Michael is an experienced litigator, trial lawyer, and litigation funder with more than a decade of experience litigating, resolving, and investing in complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters. Chris Baildon – Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Chris is one of the co-founders and the Chief Operating Officer at LF2. He is primarily responsible for the firm’s operational and compliance efforts as well as its capital raising and investor relations efforts. Chris brings three decades of global investment banking and finance experience, with substantial experience in management, business development, and capital raising across investment verticals, including litigation finance. David Stickney – Managing Director, Underwriting and Risk David is LF2’s Managing Director, Underwriting and Risk. He is responsible for the firm’s case underwriting, investment monitoring, and risk management programs, and supports the firm’s business development efforts. David is a renowned litigator and law firm leader who recovered billions of dollars for his clients through complex commercial litigation, earning him recognition as a “Titan of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” and a “Litigation Groundbreaker.” Advisory Board Hon. Vanessa Gilmore (ret.) – Member of the Advisory Board Judge Gilmore is a member of the Advisory Board at LF2. She primarily advises the leadership team on new and existing investments, but is also an important strategic advisor to the firm on various legal and dispute resolution matters. Judge Gilmore recently retired from the bench after more than 25 years serving as an Article III judge in the Southern District of Texas. Scott Mozarsky – Member of the Advisory Board Scott is a member of the Advisory Board at LF2. He is an important strategic advisor to the business on legal, data and technology issues. Scott currently leads the M&A and Capital Markets Advisory Practice for a leading middle market investment bank and previously served as a corporate and legal leader to several large multinationals and publicly-traded entities. Institutionally Managed Capital Takes Long-Term View of LF2 LF2’s first close was led by a leading global financial investment manager with an alternatives portfolio AUM exceeding USD $22 billion. “We are thrilled to have an exceptionally strong investor, with substantial experience in the litigation finance asset class, show such confidence in LF2. With access to significant committed capital and the substantial reach of its industry-knowledgeable investors, LF2 is able to act quickly in meeting plaintiff funding needs, which is crucial to securing quality case investments,” said Baildon. LF2 is structured with the objective of meeting the highest standards in investment process management, quality control, risk management, and compliance. For further information about Lex Ferenda Litigation Funding, please visit: www.lf-2.com. For Investor Relations or other questions, please contact: Chris Baildon.

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Apex Group Ltd Selected to Support Seven Stars Legal Group Ltd’s Pioneering Tokenised Litigation Fund in Dubai

By John Freund |

Apex Group Ltd (“Apex Group”), one of the world's largest fund administration and solutions providers, today announced it has been selected to provide fund administration and digital asset infrastructure for the anticipated Seven Stars Legal Group Ltd (“Seven Stars”) Tokenised Litigation Fund, a pioneering investment vehicle that will combine institutional-grade litigation finance with blockchain technology.

The proposed fund, targeting GBP 50-250 million in commitments with an anticipated first close of GBP 50 million by March 31, 2026, represents a significant innovation in alternative investments. Once launched, the tokenised structure is expected to reduce traditional investment minimums from GBP 1 million to GBP 50,000, making institutional-quality litigation finance accessible to a broader range of qualified investors.

Subject to regulatory approvals and successful fund structuring, Apex Group is positioned to provide comprehensive fund administration services, while its digital asset platform, Apex Digital 3.0 (including Tokeny), would handle the token issuance and management infrastructure. This dual capability positions Apex Group as the sole provider managing both traditional fund administration and digital asset components under one unified platform.

Upon launch, Seven Stars will act as Investment Manager responsible for portfolio selection and management.

“Our selection to support Seven Stars' innovative fund structure exemplifies our commitment to bridging traditional finance with digital innovation,” said Agnes Mazurek, Global Head of Digital Assets at Apex Group. “By providing both conventional fund administration and tokenisation infrastructure, we're positioned to help fund managers unlock new distribution channels and operational efficiencies while maintaining institutional-grade governance and compliance standards.”

Offering up to a capped 16% annual return backed by diversified UK litigation portfolios, Seven Stars brings significant experience to the venture, having already deployed over GBP 44 million in UK litigation finance and funded more than 56,000 legal claims with a proven track record of performance, together with a team which includes leading Silk, Louis Doyle KC, who sits on the board and Advisory Committee at Seven Stars.

“Apex Group's expertise in both traditional fund administration and digital assets makes them the ideal partner for this groundbreaking initiative,” said Leon Clarance, Chief Strategy Officer at Seven Stars. "Their infrastructure will enable us to deliver the operational efficiency gains of tokenisation while maintaining the rigorous compliance and reporting standards our institutional investors expect.”

Mazurek added: “We are pleased to be supporting Seven Stars in this groundbreaking project. Our mission at Apex Group is to help clients bridge the TradFi and DeFi universes and this project perfectly represents this connectivity.”

Planned Partnership Capabilities

The anticipated partnership would leverage several key Apex Group capabilities:

  • Fund Administration: NAV calculation, investor services, and regulatory reporting 
  • Digital Asset Infrastructure: Token issuance, custody, and lifecycle management via Apex Digital 3.0
  • Regulatory Compliance: Full regulatory oversight and compliance monitoring 
  • Investor Onboarding: Streamlined KYC/AML processes for both traditional and digital investors

The proposed tokenised structure would enable secondary trading after a 6-month lock-in period, providing liquidity options traditionally unavailable in litigation finance funds. Smart contract automation is projected to reduce administrative costs by up to 90%, with anticipated savings passed through to investors.

This announcement follows Apex Group's recent expansion of its digital asset capabilities in the DIFC, positioning the firm as a leader in supporting the convergence of traditional finance and blockchain technology in the Middle East's premier financial hub.

About Apex Group

Apex Group is dedicated to driving positive change in financial services while supporting the growth and ambitions of asset managers, allocators, financial institutions, and family offices. Established in Bermuda in 2003, the Group has continually disrupted the industry through its investment in innovation and talent.

Today, Apex Group sets the pace in fund and asset servicing and stands out for its unique single-source solution and unified cross asset-class platform which supports the entire value chain, harnesses leading innovative technology, and benefits from cross-jurisdictional expertise delivered by a long-standing management team and over 13,000 highly integrated professionals.   

Apex Group leads the industry with a broad and unmatched range of services, including capital raising, business and corporate management, fund and investor administration, portfolio and investment administration, ESG, capital markets and transactions support. These services are tailored to each client and are delivered both at the Group level and via specialist subsidiary brands.

The Apex Foundation, a not-for-profit entity, is the Group’s passionate commitment to empower sustainable change. 

About Seven Stars Legal

Seven Stars Legal is a specialist litigation finance provider focused on high-volume, precedent-based UK consumer claims. Founded by a team with over GBP 380 million in litigation finance experience, the company provides institutional investors with access to uncorrelated, asset-backed returns through secured lending to regulated UK law firms. Seven Stars has funded over 56,000 claims since 2022, maintaining a zero-default track record through its multi-layered security framework and AI-enhanced due diligence processes

ILFA Welcomes Commissioner McGrath’s Rejection of EU Regulation for Third-Party Litigation Funding

By John Freund |

On 18 November 2025, European Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath closed the final meeting of the EU’s High-Level Forum on Justice for Growth with a clear statement that the Commission does not plan new legislation on Third Party Litigation Funding (TPLF). 

He added that Forum participants also indicated that there is no need to further regulate third-party litigation funding.

Instead, Commissioner McGrath said the Commission will prioritise monitoring the implementation of the Representative Actions Directive (RAD) over any new legislative proposals. 

(video from 2.32 here). 

Paul Kong, Executive Director of the International Legal Finance Association (ILFA), said:  “We’re delighted to see Commissioner McGrath’s clear statement that EU regulation for third-party litigation funding is not planned. This appears to close any talk of the need for new regulation, which was completely without evidence and created considerable uncertainty for the sector.

Over several years, ILFA has consistently made the case that litigation funding plays a critical role in ensuring European businesses and consumers can access justice without financial limitations and are not disadvantaged against larger and financially stronger defendants. New legislation would have choked off the availability of financial support to level the playing field for claimants. 

We will continue to work closely with the Commission to share the experiences of our members on the implementation of the RAD across the EU, ensuring it also works for claimants in consumer group actions facing defendants with deep pockets.”

About ILFA

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 global 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 or @ILFA_Official. 

About the High-Level Forum on Justice for Growth

European Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath launched the High-Level Forum on Justice for Growth in March 2025 to bring together legal industry experts to “focus on and discuss together how justice policies can contribute to – and further support – European competitiveness and growth”. The final meeting of the Forum took place on 18 November 2025, in Brussels. 

Pogust Goodhead Appoints Jonathan Edward Wheeler as Partner and Head of Mariana Litigation

By John Freund |

Pogust Goodhead law firm has appointed Jonathan Edward Wheeler as a partner and Head of Mariana Litigation, adding heavyweight firepower to the team driving one of the largest group claims in English legal history following the firm’s landmark liability win against BHP in the English courts.

Jonathan joins Pogust Goodhead from Morrison Foerster in London, where he was a leading commercial litigation partner, having served for seven years as office co-managing partner and for 15 years as Head of Litigation. A specialist in complex, cross-border disputes, Jonathan has extensive experience acting in high-value commercial litigation, civil fraud and asset tracing, international trust disputes, contentious insolvency and investigations across multiple jurisdictions.

In his new role, Jonathan will assume strategic leadership of the proceedings arising from the Mariana dam disaster against mining giant BHP, overseeing the continued development of the case into the damages phase and working closely with colleagues in Brazil, the UK, the Netherlands and beyond.

Howard Morris, Chairman at Pogust Goodhead said: “Jonathan is a heavyweight addition to Pogust Goodhead and to our Mariana team. His track record in running some of the most complex cross-border disputes in the English courts, together with his leadership experience, make him exactly the kind of senior figure we need after our historic liability victory. Our clients will benefit enormously from his expertise and judgment.”

Jonathan Wheeler said: “It is a privilege to join Pogust Goodhead at such a pivotal moment in the Mariana case. The recent liability judgment is a watershed for access to justice and corporate accountability. I am honoured to help lead the next phase of this extraordinary litigation and to work alongside a team that has shown such determination in seeking justice for hundreds of thousands of victims.”

Alicia Alinia, CEO at Pogust Goodhead said: “Bringing in lawyers of Jonathan’s calibre is a strategic choice. As we expand the depth and breadth of our disputes practice globally, we are investing in senior talent who can help us deliver justice at scale for our clients and build an even more resilient firm.”

The Mariana proceedings in England involve over 600,000 of Brazilian individuals, businesses, municipalities, religious institutions and Indigenous communities affected by the 2015 Fundão dam collapse in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Following the English court’s decision on liability on the 14th of November 2025, the case will now move into the next stage focused on damages and the quantification of losses on an unprecedented scale.