Bentham IMF Adds Los Angeles Office to its Litigation Finance Platform

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bentham IMF, the U.S. arm of IMF (Australia) Ltd, the most experienced and successful litigation finance company in the world, is expanding its national footprint by opening a new office in Los Angeles.  Located in the landmark PacMutual Building, the office is led by Allison Chock.  Ms. Chock joined the company in August from McKool Smith Hennigan, where she was an equity partner with 14 years' experience in high-profile commercial litigation, including representing major institutional investors in successful litigation against the Wall Street banks arising out of both the Enron and Parmalat bankruptcies.

"Law firms and corporate law departments are quickly becoming aware of the help we can provide in large commercial cases," said Ralph Sutton, Chief Investment Officer at Bentham IMF. "Los Angeles is among the most active litigation markets in the country.  Allison's understanding of that market and her extensive experience with risk-partnering in contingency fee cases make her a great fit to lead our California expansion."

Bentham IMF provides access to justice for companies that would otherwise have difficulty funding the expensive and lengthy litigation that is often required to resolve large commercial disputes.  While commercial litigation finance is still a young industry in the U.S., Bentham IMF has an extensive and proven record of success, unmatched by any other litigation funder.  In the past decade, IMF (Australia) Ltd has reviewed several thousand cases and has completed 149 commercial cases, including five U.S. cases.  It has another 29 commercial cases pending.  IMF's completed cases have generated over $1.27 billion in damages or settlements for its clients.  Most of these clients could not have brought their claims without IMF's funding.  Funding new cases with its returns on prior investments rather than with capital raised from third parties enables Bentham IMF to adhere to the disciplined, highly selective "Australian funding model" created by its parent IMF, which enjoys a better than 90% success rate.

"The opportunity to join such a well-established funder was truly compelling," said Ms. Chock.  "Bentham IMF is part of a publicly-traded, well-financed, experienced and respected company led exclusively by former trial lawyers.  It is exciting to be able to lever such impressive resources to help the most worthy clients' claims get to trial." 

Ms. Chock will focus on making and monitoring the company's funding of cases in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. 

The new Los Angeles office is located at 523 West Sixth Street in Los Angeles.  In New York, Bentham IMF is located at 712 Fifth Avenue.  For more information, please visit www.benthamimf.com.

About Bentham IMF

Bentham IMF is a litigation finance company providing funding to plaintiffs for large commercial lawsuits in the United States and abroad.  Bentham IMF is the U.S. arm of IMF (Australia) Ltd, the most successful and experienced commercial litigation funder in the world.  It offers law firms and their clients a highly experienced, risk-sharing partnership with a proven record of success unmatched by any other commercial litigation funder.  IMF's team pioneered and helped shape the commercial litigation funding industry in Australia.  IMF (Australia) Ltd's principals Hugh McLernon and John Walker were recognized among American Lawyer's Top 50 Innovators in 2013.  Bentham IMF's name reflects its singular heritage.

SOURCE Bentham IMF