Law firms

Litigation is more complex, time consuming and expensive than ever before.

Law firm clients are increasing the pressure on their legal departments to reduce legal spend, and yet there remains an expectation from company leadership that good claims should be pursued.

Law firms in turn are creating alternative fee structures for clients to reduce upfront payment of legal fees and share in the outcome of litigation, successful or otherwise, with their clients.

When law firms discuss the idea of funding with their clients, very often new opportunities for mandates emerge.

These types of discussions are increasingly common and we inevitable get involved with them. The outcome is always a more dynamic offering to the end client.

Examples of things we do

  • Harbour can provide capital in exchange for a share of the proceeds if the claim is successful. This can apply a single case or a portfolio of cases.
  • Harbour can acquire a claim or an award from a claimant in exchange for an upfront payment. Typically Harbour takes all the proceeds if the claim is successful.
  • Harbour Underwriting can protect a claimant against the risk of adverse costs
  • Harbour can create a financing facility for a law firm to allow them to more widely offer damages-based agreements and contingency fee arrangements to their clients.
  • Harbour can also offer options to the defendant to reduce their own side cost exposure and mitigate potential damages
Clients and partners

If you require assistance, please contact us.

The litigation funding market is increasingly crowded but Harbour stands out as one of a handful of providers who are reliable, commercial and pragmatic in their approach.

— Paul Worth, Joint Head of Litigation Eversheds Sutherland

You are dealing with professionals who both understand the ups and downs of litigation, but also have the commercial awareness of which cases are likely to work for them.

— Richard Leedham, Mishcon de Reya

Often in funding matters, timing and responsiveness is vital. I have always found the Harbour team alive to these issues, and committed to prompt turnaround.

— Chambers and Partners 2022

They operate at the Rolls-Royce end of the market, funding serious cases with staff who can actually add value in the context of litigation. It's very useful to have a litigation funder who does not back seat drive. They bring very useful and objective solutions.

— Chambers & Partners 2020

They have real depth of experience in funding group claims, better than other funders for the UK. Real experts in that area.

— Chambers & Partners 2020

Harbour are like royalty. Very, very good, very polished and very sophisticated. They give you a very quick turnaround, and get cases in and out the door. The thing I like about them is that when they are not interested, they give you a quick no.

— Chambers & Partners 2020

They are experienced and know their market, which really helps when they are in front of clients. They also have a track record with which many of the newer funders struggle to compete.

— Paul Worth, Joint Head of Litigation Eversheds Sutherland

Harbour is not afraid to talk about out-of-the-box commercial agreements and to bring in other high-end firms who can add value to the process in Australia. Sophisticated and high-end funding, very complex cases. Love their thinking and their ingenuity.

— Chambers & Partners 2020

We don’t see Harbour as just funders – we see them as business partners – and that we are in the case together to get the best result for the clients (or the class).

— Johnson Winter & Slattery

Impeccable reputation in the marketplace.

— Chambers & Partners 2019

Never met a funder so involved – they work hand in glove with their clients.

— Chambers & Partners 2019

Early on, thought-through decisions are reached about cases which means minimum frustration for clients. As cases progress the team are always willing to discuss any aspect while maintaining the correct distance.

— Richard Leedham, Mishcon de Reya

They listen to what you say, then form their own view and put in a realistic contingency to use if needed.

— Chambers & Partners 2019

The perfect funder needs to be somewhere between a traditional lawyer and a hedge fund manager. It’s essential to have a legal understanding yet to be very commercial.

— Ben Williams, King & Spalding

Case studies

Lendlease

A shareholder class action against Lendlease Group for allegedly misleading the market in relation to problems within its Engineering and Services Business.

Marriott

A representative action against Marriott International for their failure to safeguard the personal data of tens of millions of guests. 

Hiscox

A class action against Hiscox for their refusal to pay hundreds of claims brought under business interruption insurance policies.

Our team

We have a diverse group of people, all of whom understand what is required to progress a case. All have specialist litigation and arbitration experience in numerous jurisdictions. They have the creativity and problem solving capacity to take your case to completion.

Meet everyone

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