Juridica Capital Management Limited

LONDON, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Juridica Capital Management Limited ("JCML"), the Guernsey-based investment manager to AIM listed Juridica Investments Limited, announced today that it will step up its focus on the UK's corporate claims finance market. 

Since starting in December 2007, JCML has focused primarily on the US market for corporate claims where a limited supply of capital is available to finance $33 billion of annual litigation costs. But now the Company is turning its attention to the UK after a significant increase in enquiries from British companies and the legal teams that advise them.

"JCML is the leading provider of investment capital to the corporate claims market," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard W. Fields. "We have seen a significant increase in referrals from the UK and an increasing number of interesting investment opportunities for Juridica Investments.

"In 2009 we looked at a significant number of investment opportunities from top 20 UK based law firms. This year we plan to spend more time in the UK and have already had discussions with several important market participants about how to maximize the UK opportunities for the fund, especially in larger commercial cases."

JCML focuses on investing in business-to-business commercial disputes. The Company's model of corporate claim finance injects economic rationality and transparency into the dispute resolution process.  This model results in sound claims receiving financing and claims lacking merit being rejected. Applying economic principles to corporate claims makes the legal process more efficient, with the likely result that claims will settle earlier and not descend into unnecessarily expensive and protracted legal battles.

Juridica Investments Limited was the first fund to list in London offering investors access to the law as a new asset class, not correlated to the wider economic environment.

To date JCML has already invested in three UK situations, the first of which produced an early successful outcome which, with other wins, enabled Juridica Investments to deliver a maiden dividend.

Mr. Fields concluded: "Having established a market leading position in the US the time is right for us to focus on the UK.  We have developed strong relationships with several magic circle and top 20 UK law firms that also have a presence in the US. We believe these relationships will benefit from our ability to serve the needs of their UK operations.

"Lord Justice Jackson's review of civil litigation costs was most encouraging. We believe his recommendations are positive for our business clients and are likely to reduce the costs of dealing with litigation. Juridica Investments recently published its public policy statement describing its approach to corporate claims finance and we are pleased that our views are instinctively aligned with the views expressed by Lord Justice Jackson."

About Juridica Capital Management Limited

Juridica Capital Management Limited is a financial services company operated in an investment banking tradition.

The Company's primary focus is to be the leader in the law capital and finance market, while promoting the evolution of a rational approach to the law and the resolution of commercial disputes.

Our clients are Fortune 1000 companies, FT Global 500 companies, small businesses, inventors, major universities and the leading law firms that represent them. The Company accepts only cases that have already been carefully vetted and accepted by qualified lawyers, does not invest in speculative cases and only invests in a small fraction of the cases reviewed.

It is Juridica Capital Management's belief that businesses involved in disputes should have a more "free-market" and information-driven environment in which to hedge or monetise risk and claim outcomes.

The Company does not invest in class actions. And, because its clients are corporations that create value for their shareholders and their employees, it does not invest in personal injury, product liability, or mass tort lawsuits. Juridica Capital Management's business is about making commercial litigation more transparent and efficient so that the legal system works better for business.

For more information visit Juridica Investments Ltd. at www.juridicainvestments.com.

SOURCE Juridica Capital Management Limited