As the Texas economy recovers from the impact of COVID-19, litigation finance is a financial solution to help businesses and law firms monetize legal claims for working capital or other purposes. Litigators, in-house counsel, C-level executives, and law firm managers who have considered funding in the past are finding increased urgency in get up to speed quickly. Wendie Childress and Laina Hammond will discuss how lawyers can help their organizations use funding to protect the bottom line.
The program will cover:
· The Fundamentals of Litigation Finance
· How Financing Deals Structures Work
· Myths & Misperceptions
· Ethical & Regulatory Considerations
1.0 Hour CLE Credit
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cost: Free to Litigation Members
$22.00*: Non-members
*includes the $2 credit card processing free
Persons without reservations will not receive the Zoom link. Zoom link information will be sent to registrants prior to program date.
Presented by: Laina Hammond and Wendie Childress of Validity Finance
Laina Hammond is the head of the Validity Houston Office which has had a presence in Texas for almost three years. She is also a former partner at Shipley Snell. Laina and her Validity team work on the cutting edge of commercial litigation funding – investing in both individual cases and law firm case portfolios. In her role, Laina handles everything from finding the right cases to structuring the financial terms of Validity’s investment and monitoring the case through the course of litigation. Laina’s more than sixteen years as a trial lawyer representing businesses and individuals in complex commercial and energy litigation uniquely position her to identify and work with talented lawyers with strong cases and great clients. Armed with that experience, Laina and her team are able to quickly evaluate case merits and structure deals that provide companies and law firms the capital they need to pursue worthy cases without financial constraints.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Texas Plan II Honors Program, Laina earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was an associate editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. After law school, she served as Law Clerk for the Honorable John D. Rainey of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. Before joining Validity, Laina was a Principal at Shipley Snell Montgomery, LLP, a premier Houston commercial litigation boutique, where she gained significant first- and second-chair trial experience.
As Portfolio Counsel in the Validity Houston office, Wendie Childress works directly with clients and team members to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of potential claims. A business trial lawyer with 17 years of trial experience, Wendie has a winning track record representing both defendants and plaintiffs in complex commercial litigation and arbitration. With a focus on business torts, contract, securities, and employment disputes for clients in a wide range of industries including healthcare, energy, construction, and financial services, she has significant experience handling all aspects of litigation and has worked with clients across the country to quickly synthesize complex disputes to help clients understand the merits of their cases.
Wendie joined Validity from litigation powerhouse Yetter Coleman. She graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997, where she went on to earn her JD in 2000. She then served for two years as General Counsel to the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce. In 2015, Wendie was named “Houston Top Lawyer” in Business & Commercial Litigation by H Texas Magazine. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Young Lawyers Association, and the Houston Bar Association.
Validity is a commercial litigation finance company founded by one of the industry’s pioneers, Ralph Sutton, and comprised almost entirely of a team of former trial lawyers. The company is based in New York, with offices throughout the U.S., including Texas. Validity provides non-recourse financing for large commercial cases with an emphasis on fairness and transparency.
