ESKARIAM organises a seminar with international experts on class action litigation funding 

Moderated by David Fernández, CEO of ESKARIAM, and featuring Lianne Craig (Managing Partner of Hausfeld in London), Mick Smith (Head of Burford Capital in Europe) and Chris Garvey (Founder of Sachenga&Co.), this one-hour online legal training analyses the key issues surrounding the financing of collective claims, and what factors are relevant for all parties involved: investment funds and law firms. 

The legal sector and litigation funding

Over the past few years, the legal sector has undergone a profound transformation. New financing techniques have emerged, facilitating the handling of large cases that would be impossible to handle financially over the years if it were not for the participation of litigation investment funds. 

This online roundtable will discuss the different litigation funding formulas and the direct influence they have on class actions, a booming market in Spain. In Europe, many of the large law firms have already opened the door to funds to be able to access certain cases, covering the costs of the same and facilitating the promotion of these actions in defence of those affected by different infringements and/or unlawful behaviour. The seminar will be attended by key figures in the European legal sector, all of whom have extensive experience in class actions and their financing:

• Lianne Craig, Managing Partner of Hausfeld in London. During her more than 20 years of experience, Lianne has developed a broad domestic and international disputes practice with in-depth knowledge of complex commercial and competition matters in a variety of sectors. She has been actively involved in high-impact class actions and has carved a niche for herself in financial services dispute management. She was recognised as ‘Individual of the Year for Dispute Resolution London’ by The Legal 500 in its UK 2020 awards. 
• Mick Smith, Head of Burford Capital in London. He is responsible for leading Burford Capital’s investment activity and operations in Europe, focusing on corporates, funds, investors and law firms involved in commercial litigation and arbitration. Mick Smith co-founded Calunius Capital and previously practised law at Freshfields in both London and Madrid. He previously worked as an investment banker at JPMorgan Chase, Credit Agricole Lazard and Dresdner Kleinwort.
• Chris Garvey, Founder of Sachenga&Co. A lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in private practice and the financial services industry, he founded Sachenga&Co. in 2017, offering funding solutions that suit a wide range of funding needs for claimants and advisers. Previously he was Managing Director, Head of Merchant Banking and Legal Real Estate Investment at Morgan Stanley in Asia.

Agenda and access to the legal seminar

During the talk held by these four professionals, the following issues of great interest to law firms interested in this field, which is expected to have such a great impact in Spain in the coming years, are discussed: 

• The current situation of the class action market in Europe and Spain. 
• Types of financing structures for the legal sector: classic structures. 
• Types of financing structures for the legal sector: hybrid or mixed structures. 
• Litigation funds and firms seeking funding: variables to take into account. 
• The future of class actions in Europe and Spain.

Access to the full seminar is free of charge via the Thomson Reuters platform.

ESKARIAM, aware of the importance of litigation funding in the class action market, would like this seminar to be a point of debate for the Spanish legal sector. Conversations like this will help to understand the fundamental role of investment funds in large litigation and the need to collaborate in order to access a part of the market that would otherwise be impossible to make financially sustainable.