Litigation finance is big business. (See Arms Race: The Litigation Funding Boom.) These six companies are leading the charge.
IMF Bentham Limited, a 15-year-old Australia-listed funder, moved into the U.S. scene four years ago. It has hewed most closely to traditional lawsuit funding; unlike the rest, it generally contracts with law firms directly. Typically, Bentham and the firm each invest in a matter, with Bentham gleaning two to three times its investment, depending on the risk, the number of cases funded and the projected duration of a matter. New U.S. investments, averaging $3.5 million a pop, doubled to 19 in 2015, and Bentham says the number should increase again in 2016.
