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ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

INNOVATION LAB: Third-Party Funding in Practice

Organised by Nivalion and Burford Capital

DATE & TIME

LOCATION

 Friday, 27 August

09:55 – 10:40 CEST

Millennium Ballroom and online

DESCRIPTION

This interactive session will include a practically oriented introduction into third-party funding and offers participants the chance to pitch a case to the attending funders.

Large corporates and leading law firms around the world are shifting from the reactive mindset that has dominated the past year to one that is forward-looking and commercially minded. As third-party funding continues to make headway, understanding how funders work becomes ever more important – for companies to offload risk, enhance budget certainty and accelerate return on legal assets, and for law firms to better serve clients, compete for new business, and invest in growth.

The journey to litigation finance is more straightforward than it may seem but it’s human nature to want to start a journey knowing where you’re going, how you’ll get there and when you’ll arrive. Join this interactive session during which representatives of the leading funders Nivalion and Burford Capital will explain the concept and basics of third-party funding, with plenty of time left for you also to pitch one of your own cases or ask questions.

SPEAKERS & MODERATORS

Katherine Bell

Schellenberg Wittmer

Moderator

Katherine Bell is a Counsel in Schellenberg Wittmer’s Dispute Resolution Group in Zurich. Her main areas of practice are domestic and international commercial litigation and arbitration. She specializes in the resolution of disputes arising out of complex construction, engineering and infrastructure projects across a variety of industries. She acts as counsel and arbitrator in international arbitral proceedings, represents parties in litigation proceedings before Swiss courts, and assists clients in the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts.

In 2019-2021, Katherine was recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader in Construction as well as in Arbitration, highlighting her “skillful handling of complex construction disputes” and describing her as “brilliant counsel in the field of construction arbitration”.

Isabelle Berger

Nivalion

Isabelle Berger is Nivalion’s Chief Investment Officer, Market Head for Switzerland, France and Benelux, and responsible for Nivalion’s funding activities in Continental Europe. Before joining Nivalion, Isabelle was in private practice for over 10 years specialising in dispute resolution at leading Swiss law firms Homburger and Schellenberg Wittmer. She graduated in law from the University of Berne (lic. iur., best graduate student award) and holds a PhD in law (Dr. iur., summa cum laude).

Olivia Furter

Nivalion

Olivia Furter is Senior Case Manager of Nivalion. Before joining Nivalion Olivia worked for several years as an attorney in the dispute resolution team of the internationally oriented law firm Schellenberg Wittmer. In addition, she has been a teaching assistant for private law at the University of St. Gallen since 2013. Olivia Furter holds law degrees from King’s College London (LL.M.) and the University of St. Gallen (M.A. HSG in Law and Economics).

Jörn Eschment

Burford Capital

Jörn Eschment is a Senior Vice President based in Switzerland and heads Burford’s investment activity in German-speaking Europe. Prior to joining Burford, Jörn was a senior disputes lawyer with Herbert Smith Freehills in Hong Kong and Schellenberg Wittmer in Zurich. Qualified in Switzerland, Jörn read law at the universities of Freiburg, Liverpool, Marburg and Passau, graduating with the German Staatsexamen, an LL.M. in EU law (Dean’s Prize Scholar), and a PhD in public international law, all with distinction. He also holds an M.A. from the War Studies Department at King’s College London and currently serves as Switzerland Regional Ambassador for HK45, the young practitioners’ group within the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).

SESSION COORDINATORS

Laura Manz

Kellerhals Carrard, Switzerland

Pascal Hubli

Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd, Switzerland

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