Woodsford arrives in the U.S.
UK-based Woodsford Litigation Funding is making a splash in the United States, with the opening of its first office this side of the pond in Philadelphia. The firm has secured former United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York Shira Scheindlin, and former Latham & Watkins partner David McLean for its…
The Importance of Diversification in Commercial Litigation Finance (pt. 1 of 2)
Investors’ Corner
Presented by Balmoral Wood | Litigation Finance
Why is diversification so important in commercial litigation finance?
In a word, RISK. Lack of diversification in a commercial litigation finance portfolio increases the portfolio’s risk substantially. Now, the same can be said for many asset classes, but in this asset class the risk is more acute because of the quasi-binary risk (see explanation below) nature of litigation. The quasi-binary risk stems from a series of underlying risks related to a single piece of litigation. The more significant risks (setting aside legal representation risk) of a single piece of litigation can be summarized as follows: (i) legal risk, (ii) counterparty risk, (iii) judiciary risk, and (iv) plaintiff risk.
Vannin Capital hires commercial litigator Andrew Jones
UK-based litigation funder Vannin Capital has hired Andrew Jones from Linklaters LLP. Jones will identify and assess cases for investment, as well as handle case management for the firm….
LFJ Interview with Julia Salasky, CEO of CrowdJustice
Fresh on the heels of CrowdJustice’s $2M fundraising round, Litigation Finance Journal sat down with the crowdfunding legal platform’s Founder and CEO, Julia Salasky, to discuss the company’s business model, marketing strategy, and its plans for U.S. expansion.
Burford scores huge windfall in Argentina Airlines case
Burford Capital announced that a favorable arbitration ruling in one of its investee cases has led to a “substantial additional income” for 2017….
The battle over regulating consumer litigation funding in NY State heats up (pt. 2 of 2)
In part 1 of our article, we outlined the lobbying efforts aimed at regulating the consumer litigation funding industry in New York State, led mainly by the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York. Part 2 will look at the lobbying efforts being made against that regulation (S3911)….
Investment or loan? Litigation funding’s ongoing debate…
A recurring theme in legislative debates over litigation funding is whether or not such agreements constitute loans and, as such, are subject to usury laws and other state regulations. Often that debate occurs in the legislature, yet in some states it spills over into the courts, with claims that litigation funding contracts are illegal and unenforceable because they violate state regulations on loans. One recent case, Cherokee Funding v. Ruth, saw the Georgia Court of Appeals refuse to extend the definition of a loan to litigation funding contracts, instead insisting that the legislature is the proper arena to expand two state laws intended to regulate payday lenders and other allegedly abusive lenders.
The battle over regulating consumer litigation funding in NY State heats up (pt. 1 of 2)
The Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York is lobbying the State Senate of New York to regulate the consumer litigation funding industry.
Gerchen Keller-funded suit against MasterCard thrown out of UK court
A class action suit brought by former financial services ombudsman Walter Merricks against MasterCard has been tossed out of a UK court. The suit was funded to the tune of 40 million pounds by Gerchen Keller Capital, now owned by Burford….
How AI will impact litigation funding
A court’s decision is impossible to predict… or is it? In May of this year, Illinois Institute of Technology law professor Daniel Katz led a machine learning study which confirmed that it is possible to predict the future decisions of the US Supreme Court based on historical data. Katz’s model predicted more than 240,000 justice…
