Christopher Leonardo

Practice Areas

Our practice is diverse because we have served as both a litigation finance investor and as lawyer/law firm counter-party and litigation finance adviser for almost two decades. We represent clients participating in all aspects of the market for litigation finance and litigation risk transfer. Our clients include hedge funds and multi-strategy funds that invest is assets whose value turns upon a legal outcome, which can include investments involving the public and private markets, equity and debt opportunities, and a variety of other trades. We likewise represent mainline funds that deploy capital solely in the litigation finance space, including small to large funders, in everything from diligence and valuation, to trade formation, origination strategy, and risk management. Our practice also involves representing corporations and law firms that seek advice on navigating the litigation finance market. We help them to identify, negotiate and structure litigation finance transactions. Finally, we represent MGAs and insurance market participants that help provide risk transfer structures for litigation investments, such as through policies and other insurance products.

Career

Former Prosecutor (NY) followed by eight successful years at one of the largest commercial litigation firms in DC (later acquired by another large firm), where I represented corporations in complex antitrust MDLs and other high value commercial disputes.

My litigation finance work began in 2007 when I began serving as a the outside GC for the first publicly traded litigation finance fund with approximately $600mm in AUM in public and private funds. I then co-founded and served as the managing partner of a DC-based Alternative Business Structure that generated over $2 billion in recoveries for our corporate and other clients. I subsequently co-founded and for several years served as the Managing Member of a leading litigation finance advisory group that focused on representing companies and law firms seeking consulting advice on litigation finance matters. I then co-founded as served as co-principal of a division of an established corporate liquidation and asset management firm and focused on identifying and investing in litigation claims in distressed and bankruptcy matters (and other commercial cases). My experience also includes serving as a Director at an established mainline funder. For the past four years, we have run the Litigation Finance practice at Gilbert LLP.

Professional Memberships

Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York. I have also been admitted to practice in in various federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.

I am also a member of the National Lawyers Association for Alternative Business Structures.

Industry Sector Expertise

Litigation Finance