Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today announces that it has expanded its European footprint while also continuing to add leading legal talent to its global operation. Expanded client demand for offerings such as corporate monetization and law firm portfolio financing, combined with a greater desire and need for legal finance in Europe due to legislative changes related to collective redress, have resulted in Burford’s continued growth. In Europe, Burford now has an on-the-ground presence in London, Frankfurt, Zug, Paris, Rome and Stockholm.
Changes to Burford’s European operation include:
- Burford veterans Michael Redman and Daniel Hall now serve as co-heads of EMEA: Mr. Redman leads Burford’s London office, and as previously announced, Mr. Hall leads Burford’s new office in Dubai.
- Philipp Leibfried has taken on the role of Head of Europe and will continue to implement Burford’s European growth strategy, actively engaging with law firms and companies across continental Europe.
- Swiss-based Dr. Jörn Eschment has been promoted to Director and will continue to lead Burford’s business in the DACH region of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
- Dr. Luca Weskott has joined Burford as a Vice President based in Frankfurt, Germany, and will originate and manage investments in the DACH region. He joins Burford from leading German law firm Hengeler Mueller’s Dispute Resolution practice.
Christopher Bogart, CEO of Burford Capital, said: “As the global industry leader, Burford is constantly evolving to meet our clients’ needs. We continue to add the best and brightest talent company-wide, because that’s the basis not only for growth but for developing strong and lasting client relationships. And I’m especially pleased that as we hire new global talent, we’re also promoting our existing talent into leadership positions.”
Philipp Leibfried, Burford Capital’s Head of Europe, said: “While Burford has always had a significant presence in both the UK and in Europe, with 47 staff now in London, we are also dedicating additional resources to Europe to match growing demand on the continent. From the UK to the DACH region, France, Italy, Sweden and more, we are committed to serving our clients. We look forward to meeting demand from European law firms in areas such as collective redress, securities claims and competition-related litigation, in addition to more award and judgment monetization work with our corporate clients.”
The composition of Burford’s global team as of May 11, 2023 of more than 150 employees – and more than 60 of whom are lawyers – reflects its category leadership as well as its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as half of Burford’s team are women, racial minorities or self-identify as LGBTQ+.
Since its last hiring announcement in November 2021, Burford has expanded its industry-leading global team, including the following senior employees:
Experienced leaders join as Treasurer and Chief Compliance Officer
- Juan Jimenez, CFA, is Treasurer, based in New York, with responsibility for overseeing all activities and risks related to liquidity and cash management, funding, currency and interest rates, as well as managing relationships with rating agencies. Mr. Jimenez most recently worked as Director of Corporate Treasury at Colgate-Palmolive.
- Monika Singh, IACCP®, is Chief Compliance Officer, based in Chicago, responsible for overseeing and managing Burford’s compliance with all applicable regulatory, internal policy and procedural requirements. Ms. Singh has over a decade of experience in compliance management. Prior to joining Burford, Ms. Singh was Chief Compliance Officer at 50 South Capital Advisors.
Additional growth of Burford’s industry-leading investment team
- Christopher Dore is a Director in Chicago with responsibility for overseeing Burford’s underwriting of and investment activity in nationwide consolidated litigation and other complex commercial matters. Mr. Dore was previously Partner-in-Charge of case development, investigations and client acquisition at Edelson PC.
- Charles Griffin is a Vice President in New York responsible for evaluating and executing new investment opportunities and overseeing investments in Burford’s portfolio. Prior to joining Burford, Mr. Griffin was a litigator at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
- Victoria Fox is a Vice President in London focused on commercial litigation, asset recovery and enforcement. Prior to joining Burford, Ms. Fox was a litigator at Stephenson Harwood.
- Charlie Rooke is a Vice President in London with a focus on complex commercial and competition litigation matters in the UK and Europe. Mr. Rooke was previously a Senior Counsel at the Royal Bank of Canada.
Business origination team adds top industry experts
- Patrick Dempsey is a Director in New York responsible for originating new business with US law firms and companies. Mr. Dempsey was previously the US Chief Investment Officer and a Board Member at Therium Capital Management.
- Jonathan Owen is a Vice President in California with responsibility for originating new business with US law firms and companies. Prior to joining Burford, Mr. Owen was a Funding Director at Law Finance Group.
Top global legal talent joins the business
- Shreya Gulati is Corporate Counsel in New York with a focus on Burford’s investments in the U.S. Prior to joining Burford, Ms. Gulati was an Associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges.
- Richard Lee is Corporate Counsel in London with responsibility for overseeing Burford’s investments in the UK, EMEA and Asia. Prior to joining Burford, Mr. Lee was a Managing Associate at Linklaters.
- Anastasiya Lisovskaya is Corporate Counsel in New York responsible for the legal processes around Burford’s reporting obligations and compliance with securities laws. Ms. Lisovskaya was previously a Senior Corporate Associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
- Richard McGarry is Counsel in London with responsibility for leading Burford’s compliance program in the UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Mr. McGarry was previously a Managing Associate in Addleshaw Goddard’s Global Investigations team.
About Burford Capital
Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, DC, Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai.
For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.
