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POGUST GOODHEAD ANNOUNCES HIRING OF JEFFREY GITTLEMAN TO LEAD THE FIRM’S INTERNATIONAL ANTITRUST/COMPETITION PRACTICE

Global law firm Pogust Goodhead has announced the hiring of Jeffrey Gittleman to lead the firm’s growing international antitrust/competition practice.  Mr. Gittleman has joined the firm as a partner in Pogust Goodhead’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office.

Jeffrey Gittleman is a seasoned litigator with extensive experience representing plaintiffs in antitrust, securities and other class actions.  For over 20 years, Mr. Gittleman has played a leading role in prosecuting antitrust class actions against global price-fixing cartels.  Representing businesses, individuals, pension funds, and health and welfare funds, he has recovered billions of dollars for those who have been injured by powerful corporations.

Mr Gittleman said:

“I am excited to join the incredible team that Harris and Tom have assembled at Pogust Goodhead.  I look forward to helping the firm grow its international antitrust/competition practice, and being part of a cutting edge global law firm that is passionate about providing justice to those harmed by corporate misconduct.”

Chairman and Founding Partner, Harris Pogust said:

“I am delighted to welcome Jeff to Pogust Goodhead. Our goal is to defend the rights of those who have been wronged by some of the world’s largest companies and Jeff will undoubtedly help us achieve this goal. For more than 20 years, he has been at the top of his game and the antitrust/competition bar litigating complex class actions and recovering billions of dollars for investors, businesses and individuals injured by violations of securities, antitrust and consumer protection laws. There is no better person to lead our antitrust/ competition practice. I have known Jeff for over 20 years and there is nobody I would rather have lead this fight than Jeff Gittleman.”

The new hire will be based out of Pogust Goodhead’s Philadelphia office working alongside James Barry who has also recently joined the US team after spending the past years at the Locks Law Firm.  Jeff will also lend support to the firm’s burgeoning securities practice lead by Noah Wortman and Ian Berg.

The firm has been under recent expansion and now has U.S. offices in Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego and Moorestown, New Jersey serving victims of corporate wrongdoing in class actions and mass actions all over the world.

Pogust Goodhead is a partnership between British, American, Brazilian, and Dutch 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 historic settlements on behalf of claimants in the Volkswagen NOx Emissions Group Litigation in May 2022 and victims of the British Airways Data Breach in 2021.

The law firm is also a leader in environmental litigation. Earlier this year the firm secured a landmark, unanimous judgment from the Court of Appeal that allows over 200,000 victims of the Mariana Dam disaster, Brazil’s worst ever environmental disaster, to seek redress against the world’s largest mining company, BHP, in the Courts of England and Wales.

A partnership and £100m funding deal with North Wall Capital was also recently announced as the largest investment in a UK claimant law firm to date.

Pogust Goodhead has recently seen the recruitment of C-Suite leaders Chief Operating Officer Alicia Alinia and Chief Financial Officer Jash Radia, bringing decades of experience in strategic leadership across the business.

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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.

Announcements Consumer

Golden Pear Upsizes Corporate Note to $78.7M Amid Growth Plans

By John Freund |

Golden Pear Funding has extended and upsized its investment-grade corporate note to $78.7 million, further bolstering the firm's capacity to serve the expanding litigation finance sector. The New York-based funder, a national leader in both pre-settlement and medical receivables financing, said the proceeds will support working capital and fuel strategic growth initiatives.

A press release from Golden Pear outlines how the capital raise reflects continued investor confidence in the firm’s business model. CEO Gary Amos noted that the infusion is critical as Golden Pear seeks to scale alongside the “rapidly expanding litigation finance market.” CFO Daniel Amsellem added that the new funding aligns with the company’s capital allocation strategy, aimed at optimizing operational efficiency and executing strategic projects.

Brean Capital, LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor and sole placement agent on the transaction.

Founded in 2008, Golden Pear has funded more than $1.1 billion to over 87,000 clients and remains one of the largest specialty finance companies in the U.S. Its business model spans legal case funding and medical receivables purchasing, with backing from a network of private equity partners that provide institutional support for continued expansion.

Announcements Regulatory Issues

LionFish Updates Model Documents in Response to CJC Report

By John Freund |

LionFish Litigation Finance Ltd has released a new suite of model litigation funding documents, updating its original set from February 2021. The revision comes on the heels of the Civil Justice Council's (CJC) Final Report on Litigation Funding, issued on 2 June 2025, which calls for a regulatory structure informed by best practices, including key principles published by the European Law Institute (ELI) in October 2024.

A LionFish press release details that the updated suite incorporates several of the ELI Principles (notably 4-12) and broader CJC recommendations, except where doing so would require legislative or procedural reform. LionFish's goal, according to Managing Director Tets Ishikawa, is not to dictate market norms but to foster industry-wide standardisation and efficiency. This proactive move is also intended to spark further collaboration between funders, insurers, and legal practitioners to develop trade practices akin to those in mature financial markets, such as those promoted by the Loan Market Association and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

The new suite includes three core documents: a litigation funding agreement, a priorities deed to define proceeds distribution, and an assignment deed for insurance benefits. Notably, LionFish has also added documentation for co-investment arrangements, reflecting a growing trend in syndicated funding deals. The funder has already closed seven such transactions.

Managing Director Tanya Lansky emphasised that while litigation funding remains complex, making documentation public enhances transparency and facilitates quicker deal closings—an essential factor for sustaining market growth.

As litigation finance continues to mature, this move by LionFish highlights a shift toward professionalisation and standardisation. With regulators increasingly focused on transparency and fairness, such initiatives may set a de facto benchmark for others in the industry. The question remains: will other funders follow suit, or will regulatory mandates be needed to compel alignment?