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Omni Bridgeway hires build on company’s expertise in corporate and IP funding and increase gender diversity on investment committee

Omni Bridgeway continues its US expansion with three new hires in New York, bringing on Megan Easley and Austin Ginnings as Legal Counsel and increasing gender diversity on its US investment committee with the addition of Martha E. Solinger.

Allison K. Chock, Omni Bridgeway’s Chief Investment Officer-US, notes, “Omni Bridgeway has developed a team that delivers what sophisticated clients with meritorious claims need most: a thorough but rapid internal investment analysis. Our quick vetting process is made possible by pairing best-in-class general litigation and arbitration experience with specialization in those practice areas where demand for our financing solutions is high. These hires further distinguish us as the funder that prioritizes the needs of parties seeking commercial disputes funding and anticipates how to best serve them in the days ahead.”

Each of the legal counsel hires bring specialized expertise, enhancing Omni Bridgeway’s capabilities in corporate and intellectual property funding, respectively. Megan Easley is the third investment team member to join the company with experience working for a corporate legal department. Before joining Omni Bridgeway, she practiced law at Susman Godfrey LLP, focusing on representing plaintiffs and defendants in commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts. During her time with the firm, Megan was seconded to GE Capital where she spent four years in the role of Special Counsel and managed domestic and international litigation, directing outside counsel handling government and internal investigations and litigation with exposure of more than $1 billion.

Austin Ginnings adds to the company’s team of intellectual property funding specialists, which also includes former Kirkland & Ellis LLP partner and patent litigator, Sarah Tsou, and former boutique business and intellectual property firm managing partner and trade secrets litigator, Stephanie Southwick. Austin held a management role at an IP-focused investment and advisory firm before joining Omni Bridgeway. He previously practiced law at elite intellectual property firms Desmarais LLP and Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto, representing plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement cases, including matters handled on a contingency fee basis. He also advised technology, life sciences and medical device companies on offensive and defensive patent portfolio strategies and IP portfolio development. Earlier in his career, Austin worked with the United States International Trade Commission addressing issues regarding IP and international trade disputes.

In their roles as legal counsel, Megan and Austin will conduct due diligence on potential investments and provide legal advice to Omni Bridgeway on matters of US law.

The company has also expanded its capabilities in making final decisions about disputes it assesses for investment. Martha E. Solinger brings to the Investment Committee decades of experience gained as the Managing Director of Global Litigation, Insurance and Intellectual Property at Lehman Brothers Inc. pre-bankruptcy, then more recently, as the Co-General Counsel of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. post-bankruptcy. In addition to adding substantial corporate and legal expertise to the committee, Martha helps the company progress towards its goal to increase diversity, becoming the first woman on the company’s US investment committee.

ABOUT OMNI BRIDGEWAY

Omni Bridgeway is the global leader in dispute resolution finance, with expertise in civil and common law legal and recovery systems, and operations spanning Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, the UK and the US. Omni Bridgeway offers dispute finance from case inception through to post-judgment enforcement and recovery. Since 1986, it has established a record of funding disputes and enforcement proceedings around the world.

Omni Bridgeway is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:OBL) and includes the leading dispute funders formerly known as IMF Bentham Limited, Bentham IMF and ROLAND ProzessFinanz. It also includes a joint venture with IFC (part of the World Bank Group). Visit omnibridgeway.com to learn more.

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Announcements Commercial Fundraising

Pegasus Legal Capital Completes $74 Million Securitization to Fuel Growth

Pegasus Legal Capital, LLC ("Pegasus") (mylawfunds.com), a prominent pre-settlement legal funding company in the United States, announced today that it has successfully completed a $74 million litigation finance securitization. This achievement marks Pegasus' second securitization transaction in the asset class and another significant milestone in its capital market journey. The proceeds from this transaction will further propel Pegasus' growth across key markets in the United States.

Pegasus Managing Director, Alexander Khanas, expressed, "With the successful completion of this transaction, Pegasus will expand its business in the personal injury market while upholding its industry-leading service standards."

GreensLedge Capital Markets LLC played the role of Placement Agent for Pegasus. GreensLedge Senior Managing Director, Douglas Lipton, added, "We are delighted to continue expanding Pegasus' investor base through their second securitization issuance and assisting them in creatively developing their platform."

Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Pegasus was founded in 2008 as a pre-settlement litigation finance company. Since its inception, the company's management team has successfully sourced, underwritten, and serviced over half a billion dollars through more than 30,000 advances. While Pegasus has traditionally focused on the New York market, it has established a strong presence in the Southeast and Texas markets as well.

Pegasus is a proud member of the American Legal Finance Association (ALFA), a national organization comprising companies that provide non-recourse funds to personal injury victims. ALFA's primary objective is to establish industry standards for transparency in legal funding transactions, ensuring upfront and clear disclosure to consumers.

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Announcements Commercial Deals

New Burford Capital Research Reveals How Businesses are Preparing for Likely Rise in Global Energy Transition Disputes

By Harry Moran |

Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today releases new research entitled “Energy transition disputes: GCs and senior lawyers on the business impacts of legal challenges to come,” which demonstrates how businesses are preparing for a likely rise in legal disputes related to the global energy transition. This transition―or the shift to renewable sources of energy―is likely to cause an increase in expensive commercial disputes.

Businesses are investing significant sums in this transition, and corporate commitments highlight the scale of economic engagement as they invest in the new technologies, infrastructure and other resources that will be needed. But multifaceted legal and commercial pressures present businesses with a myriad of potential challenges including contractual disagreements, regulatory compliance issues and the need for intellectual property enforcement or litigation. Burford’s research report aims to offer a unique perspective on how corporations foresee the expected rise in litigation and arbitration related to this energy transition, examining the areas of business impact related to this evolving landscape.

Burford commissioned this independent research by capturing insights from 300 GCs and heads of litigation across key industries impacted by the energy transition and spanning North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Key findings from the study include:

Disputes relating to the energy transition are rising

·       76% of GCs report they are already encountering disputes related to the energy transition and nearly half (47%) expect a further rise in the volume of such disputes in the next decade, driven by evolving laws, new technologies and infrastructure requirements.

Disputes relating to the energy transition are expected to be costly

·       Almost two in three GCs (63%) expect legal fees and expenses to exceed $4 million per energy transition case; a notable minority (29%) expect per case costs to exceed $10 million.

·       Over half (52%) view high costs as a significant factor in deciding not to pursue disputes.

·       Half (50%) of GCs agree that the energy transition will create the need for additional capital sources for the business.

Expected disputes span all types of business conflict

·       GCs are most likely to predict (77%) that the energy transition will result in more contractual disputes and commercial arbitration.

·       Joint ventures are expected to be particularly prone to disputes over profit allocation (76%) and intellectual property rights (65%).

·       Over half of GCs (57%) also expect their businesses to face arbitrations to resolve investor-state conflicts relating to the transition.

New tools are needed to manage the rising dispute costs

·       Legal finance is increasingly used to mitigate the financial burden of these disputes; three in four (75%) GCs have used or would consider using legal finance to offset the cost of disputes relating to this transition.

·       In particular, GCs value monetization―or advancing some of the expected entitlement of a pending claim, judgment or award― to generate liquidity from claims tied up in litigation and arbitration. With legal finance, companies can also offset the cost of pursuing affirmative litigation to generate liquidity, shifting legal departments from cost centers to value drivers.

Christopher Bogart, CEO of Burford Capital, said: “Businesses face significant challenges related to the global energy transition due to cross-border projects, differing legal frameworks and rapidly evolving policies. Additionally, long-term energy contracts may not keep pace with energy markets and technologies, resulting in conflicts among stakeholders. Burford’s latest research demonstrates the value of corporate finance for law, as legal finance helps companies manage the high costs of energy transition disputes and allows them to pursue meritorious claims without depleting resources.”

Burford’s research is based on a 2024 survey conducted by GLG and is supplemented by interviews with ten global energy transition experts conducted by Ari Kaplan Advisors.

The research report can be downloaded on Burford’s website.

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Announcements Commercial People Moves

Hannah Sadler Joins GLS Capital Patent Investment Team

By Harry Moran |

Hannah Sadler has joined the firm as a vice president and member of the patent investment team.

“We are very happy to welcome Hannah to GLS Capital as a vice president and member of our team focusing on patent investments,” said Adam Gill, a GLS Capital managing director, co-founder, and leader of the firm’s patent-related investing. “Attracting top-tier talent is essential for continuing to help our clients achieve success, and Hannah’s background in patent litigation will be invaluable for navigating the complexities of patent investments and helping to drive our mission forward.”

Sadler focuses on diligence around qualified underwriting opportunities and monitoring and managing the firm’s patent litigation investments.

Before joining GLS Capital, Sadler was a patent litigator at Global IP Law Group in Chicago. She has over a decade of experience with all aspects of patent portfolio management and enforcement, including prosecution, litigation, sales, licensing, and portfolio valuation.

Sadler earned her J.D. (cum laude) from DePaul University College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Diego.

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