Will AI-Driven Litigation Funding Enhance or Diminish Law Firms?

Mark Beer OBE (Chairman of the Metis Institute and Co-Founder of the Deep Tech Dispute Resolution Lab of Oxford University) and Robert Hanna (Founder and Managing Director of Augusta Ventures Litigation Funding) will be sharing their views from industry about the latest litigation funding trends.

Litigation funding is one of the most innovative approaches to dispute resolution as an area where legal, financial and computer science expertise successfully intersect. During the virtual talk, the guest speakers will be providing an insight on how in the near future, AI-driven technology is likely to boost litigation funding's potential, to the extent that it might impact law firms' business models and call for an upgrade in lawyers' litigation tool-kit. This consideration extends both to domestic and international practice.

Feel free to join the talk, if you are interested in understanding more about how litigation funding can be enhanced by predictive technology and whether this is going to reshape the legal industry, opening up new opportunities as well as challenges for both clients and practitioners.

About the speakers

Mark Beer OBE

Mark started his career as a commercial lawyer, then moved in-house working with Man Investments in Switzerland. In 2003 he was appointed General Counsel for MasterCard's South Asia, Middle East and Africa region before moving to the DIFC Courts and becoming one of the world’s most highly regarded Court leaders. During his 10 years with the DIFC Courts, Mark took the institution from a start-up to becoming recognised as one of the top 3 commercial courts in the world, as well as becoming the first court to acheive global standards for customer service. Mark was also instrumental in the establishment of the Dubai World Tribunal, the DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority, the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration and Mediation Centre, the DIFC Academy of Law and the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry.

Mark also became the first person from a Middle Eastern Court to be appointed President of the International Association for Court Administration, and more recently he has worked with Governments, Universities, Ministries and Judiciaries around the world, including his appointment to the International Council of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and his appointment as a visiting professor in China.

As well as being a partner in one of the world’s most innovative law firms, and a professional associate at Outer Temple Chambers, Mark now sits on a number of advisory boards providing input on dispute avoidance; judicial reform; enhancing effectiveness; and implementing a transformation agenda, including in the context of LegalTech and CourtTech.

Robert Hanna

Robert is a co-founder of Augusta the UK’s largest litigation funder by case volume and oversees lead generation.

Robert has spent over 20 years in the hedge fund industry, initially as Head of Sales for the International Equity Finance department of Merrill Lynch International based in London, then as Global Head of Marketing and Sales for the Equity Finance Department of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in New York. He subsequently co-founded Mako Investment Managers, a multi-hedge fund asset manager, acting as Chief Investment Officer.

Robert holds an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management and an LLB (Hons).