Last year, former law firm managing partner John Garda was recruited by Longford Capital to head up their new Dallas office. This includes underwriting in addition to investment sourcing and monitoring. With more than 25 years of litigation experience, his expertise includes complex commercial and securities litigation, investment banking disputes, real estate, and construction disputes, healthcare contracts, and more.
An LFJ Conversation with Michael Kelley, Partner, Parker Poe
Last year, former law firm managing partner John Garda was recruited by Longford Capital to head up their new Dallas office. This includes underwriting in addition to investment sourcing and monitoring. With more than 25 years of litigation experience, his expertise includes complex commercial and securities litigation, investment banking disputes, real estate, and construction disputes, healthcare contracts, and more.
Above the Law writer Gaston Kroub talks to Garda about his passion for Litigation Finance. When asked why he made the decision to move from litigation to lit funding, Garda had much to say.
Garda’s introduction to Litigation Finance came when Longford Capital involved his then-firm, K&L Gates, to help vet potential investments. Garda was impressed by Longford’s two-stage diligence policy. This means Garda has been involved with Longford Capital since they started funding cases way back in 2013. Longford, of course, has been growing by leaps and bounds since.
Due diligence in vetting cases can be a difficult issue for any funder. Firms approach these efforts in myriad ways, with varying degrees of success. Longford uses both internal and external resources when determining the merits of a case and its suitability for funding. This ensures investors that their investment is safe, and assures parties involved in cases that they’re receiving careful attention. Due diligence can give funders a huge competitive advantage in acquiring funding and new clients.
When Longford Capital announced that they’d be opening a Dallas office, it made sense to hire someone who was experienced in the finer points of litigation funding. And Garda’s belief in the ability of third-party funding to increase access to justice had already been illustrated through his work with the firm.
Garda explains that the opportunity to combine his passions was simply too good to pass up. Fortunately, he also believes Longford to have the best management team in the lit fin industry.
