Validity Finance Expands Texas Presence with new Portfolio Counsel in Houston

Validity Finance Expands Texas Presence with new Portfolio Counsel in Houston

NEW YORK (APRIL 9, 2019) – Further growing its presence in the important Texas legal market, Validity Finance announced the arrival of Wendie Childress, who joins the firm as portfolio counsel in the company’s Houston office.

An experienced trial lawyer, Ms. Childress arrives from litigation powerhouse Yetter Coleman, where she was Senior Counsel, representing both plaintiff and defense clients in complex commercial litigation and arbitration. Her practice spanned cases across a wide range of industries including energy, technology, healthcare, and financial services. Ms. Childress also brings public sector experience to her new job. Earlier in her career, she served as general counsel to the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, giving her insight into the political obstacles and opportunities facing business clients. “Wendie has achieved significant stature in South Texas thanks to her winning track record in commercial disputes on behalf of a range of prominent clients. Her success as a high-stakes litigator and an expert in policy and regulatory matters makes her a perfect fit for our business,” said Laina Miller, a Validity investment manager and head of the firm’s Houston office. “Wendie also co-chaired her firm’s Women in Leadership initiative, and is a strong advocate for women lawyers, which we value highly,” Ms. Miller added, noting that Validity’s 10-member professional team is now evenly split between men and women. Since launching in June 2018, Validity has reviewed over 250 case opportunities brought by clients and law firms of all sizes, including 80% of Am Law 100 firms. The firm has partnered in funded cases with Am Law 100 firms, boutique trial firms as well as entrepreneurial business clients. Validity has invested in several major matters originating in Texas, including cases in the oil and gas sector. As Validity CEO Ralph Sutton reports, “A growing number of companies now regularly share litigation risk with outside counsel and litigation finance companies in ways that seemed challenging just five years ago—and that were all but impossible when I entered the industry in 2006.” Along with this expanded adoption of litigation finance has come the need to increase the speed and accuracy of case due diligence and assessment, activities that Ms. Childress will help manage in expanding Validity’s portfolio in Texas and the Southwest. She follows on the heels of another recently joined portfolio counsel William Marra in New York. “As a commercial litigator I understand the value of shared economic risk using litigation funding. Validity has demonstrated some of the most innovative and collaborative approaches to litigation finance, including solutions conceived to drive law firm revenue, as well as help companies achieve the greatest recoveries,” Ms. Childress said. “I’m excited about my new role in helping business claimants and law firms take advantage of Validity’s capital pipeline and litigation expertise.” About Validity: Validity provides businesses, law firms and individuals with non-recourse funding for a wide variety of commercial litigation. Founded by litigation finance pioneer Ralph Sutton, Validity believes that capital and legal expertise combine to help solve legal problems on behalf of clients. With a mission to make a meaningful difference in the legal system by focusing on client needs, Validity stands out with a relentless focus on fairness, innovation and clarity.  For more, visit www.validity-finance.com.

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New North Litigation Capital Launches, Backed by £50 Million in Senior Secured Financing from Pollen Street Capital

By John Freund |

Pollen Street Capital ("Pollen Street") today announces a new senior secured credit facility of up to £50 million to New North Litigation Capital (“New North”). New North is a commercial litigation finance company and a direct subsidiary of Capital Law, a Cardiff based law firm founded in 2006.

Capital Law has a strong track record in commercial litigation, having closed over 400 claimant cases since 2001 with a 95% win rate. Drawing on its senior leadership and experienced disputes team, Capital Law launched New North to address the underserved small to mid-market segment of commercial litigation market. 

New North will be the only litigation financier in the UK owned and operated by practicing lawyers, bringing their day to day lived experience of handling mid-market litigation into pricing the risk and the funding investment decisions.

Christopher Nott, Founder and CEO of New North commented: “We are pleased to work with Pollen Street on this financing to launch New North Litigation Capital. The funding supports us to bridge a critical gap by funding claims that are often deemed too small by other players in the market. We are excited to work with the Pollen Street team as we create this new kind of litigation funding.”

Connor Marshall-Mckie, Investment Director at Pollen Street, commented:New North addresses an important gap in the litigation funding space, focusing on smaller mid-market commercial litigation. With the significant opportunity available and the deep experience of the leadership team from Capital Law we are excited to partner with the team to support their growth.”

About Pollen Street

Pollen Street is a fast-growing and high-performing private capital asset manager. Established in 2013, the firm has built deep capability across the real estate, financial and business services sectors aligned with mega-trends shaping the future of the industry. Pollen Street manages over €7bn AUM across private equity and credit strategies on behalf of investors including leading public and corporate pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, asset managers, banks, and family offices from around the world. Pollen Street has a team of over 95 professionals.

Burford’s Q2 Profits Surge on New Capital

By John Freund |

Burford Capital has delivered its strongest quarterly performance in two years, buoyed by a swelling pipeline of high-value disputes and a fresh infusion of investor cash.

A press release in PR Newswire reveals that the New York- and London-listed funder more than doubled revenue and profitability in the three months to 30 June 2025. CEO Christopher Bogart credited “very substantial levels of new business” for the uptick, noting that demand for non-recourse financing remains “as strong as we’ve ever seen.”

The stellar quarter follows a lightning-quick, two-day debt offering in July that raised $500 million—capital Burford says will be deployed across a growing roster of commercial litigations, international arbitrations, and asset-recovery campaigns. Management also highlighted significant progress in portfolio rotations, underscoring the firm’s ability to monetise older positions while writing new ones at scale. Investors will get a deeper dive when Burford hosts its earnings call today at 9 a.m. EDT.

Burford’s results arrive amid heightened regulatory chatter in Washington and Westminster, yet the numbers suggest the industry’s largest player is unfazed—for now—by talk of disclosure mandates and tax levies. The firm emphasised that its legal-finance, risk-management and asset-recovery businesses remain uncorrelated to broader markets, a pitch that continues to resonate with pension funds and endowments hunting for alternative yield.

For litigation-finance insiders, Burford’s capital-raising prowess and improving margins could have ripple effects: rival funders may face stiffer competition for marquee cases, while law-firm partners might leverage the firm’s deeper pockets to negotiate richer portfolio deals.

International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) Announces End of Year Gala and Inaugural Legal Finance Awards

By John Freund |

 The International Legal Finance Association is pleased to announce its annual End-of-Year Gala Dinner on November 13, 2025.  The event will take place at The Law Society in London, bringing together leading figures from across the legal finance industry for an evening of celebration and reflection on the year’s achievements.  

The dinner will be accompanied by the inaugural Legal Finance Awards.  The awards are designed to recognize and honor excellence across the legal finance ecosystem. They will spotlight the achievements of funders, law firms, brokers, advisors, and other key contributors to the continued growth and innovation of the industry. Nominations for the awards are now open, with the nomination form available here

“The Gala Dinner is a chance for our members and guests to gather in person and celebrate the progress we've made over the year,” said Rupert Cunningham, Global Director of Growth and Membership Engagement at ILFA. “We are especially excited to launch the Legal Finance Awards, which will shine a light on the outstanding work and impact of professionals across our field.”

Tickets for the Gala are on sale now, with discounted pricing available for ILFA members.  More information can be found here.