IN LITIGATION FINANCE, LAW FIRMS NEED A CAPITAL PARTNER. NOT A CAPITAL PROVIDER.
PARABELLUM CAPITAL:
ALIGNED LITIGATION FINANCE.
Litigation finance is about more than just getting your out-of-pocket expenses or a portion of your hourly rate. For your practice to win at risk-taking, you need an experienced capital source that is truly aligned with both your clients’ success and your own.
Invest Together. Prosper Together.
PARABELLUM CAPITAL.
THE BUSINESS PARTNER FOR BUSINESS LITIGATION.
In the litigation finance market, what appears to be the cheapest capital or the highest percentage of your hourly budget is often a mirage. An outsized amount of the recovery is often taken by others. At the end of the case, a law firm may have provided its services at a deep discount – or even a loss.
Parabellum is different. We are obsessive about alignment in our litigation finance transactions. We understand that over the long term, we cannot be successful unless our investment grows your practice’s profitability.
Our team is among the most experienced in the United States. Comprised of former partners from major law firms, investment bankers, and other finance professionals, our team has extensive backgrounds in law and finance, and deep expertise in commercial litigation.
Drawing on over a decade of direct experience, we have an evolved, refined approach to litigation finance that emphasizes fair transaction structures and transparent incentives.
SINGLE-CASE AND PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
We manage hundreds of millions of dollars of litigation finance capital. Our resources enable us to be fast, flexible, and fair – making your client’s success our common goal.
We offer bespoke financing and hedging solutions for law firms, both for single cases and portfolios. Whatever the scenario, our deal terms will reflect our core values of alignment and transparency.
We are capable of financing virtually any type of commercial litigation and arbitration, of any size, in almost any industry. Common claims include (but are not limited to):
BUSINESS, CONTRACT, AND INVESTMENT DISPUTES
FRAUD, FIDUCIARY DUTY, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL DISPUTES
TRADE SECRETS
ANTITRUST AND UNFAIR COMPETITION
BANKRUPTCY AND SPECIAL SITUATIONS
PIONEERS IN
LITIGATION FINANCE
EXPERIENCED
WITH OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE, WE ARE AMONG THE MOST EXPERIENCED LITIGATION FINANCIERS IN THE UNITED STATES
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN COMMERCIAL LITIGATION INVESTMENTS BY OUR PRINCIPALS
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN CLAIMS FUNDED
INVESTMENT CRITERIA
Cases in which we invest typically have the following characteristics. Our investment team may consider providing litigation finance for matters that fall outside of these criteria under appropriate circumstances.
CLAIMS
We work with counsel to finance individual commercial claims, as well as existing and burgeoning contingency portfolios.
MERITS
Like you, we consider strong claims with a high likelihood of success.
STAGE
We invest in all stages of business disputes, from inception through trial, appeal, and enforcement.
JURISDICTION
We are primarily focused in the US and other common-law jurisdictions, as well as international arbitration forums.
DAMAGES
We look for damages that provide an appropriate return relative to our investment, typically in excess of $10 million for a single claim.
RECOVERABILITY
Defendants must have the resources or insurance to pay a settlement or judgment.
TEAM
Scroll to meet our team of litigation finance professionals. For a complete listing of our team, click here.
Howard Shams
Chief Executive Officer
Howie co-founded Parabellum Capital and serves as Chief Executive Officer. He leads the firm’s overall strategic direction, new business initiatives, fund risk management, and capital raising. He is also a member of the Investment Committee. Chambers & Partners perennially ranks Howie as one of the leading practitioners in the US litigation finance sector, recognizing him as “one of the most well-respected funders operating in the market” and “one of the pioneers of the industry.” Howie has also been ranked by LawDragon as a global leader in litigation finance and a leading legal consultant and strategist, and by Who’s Who Legal as a thought leader in third-party funding. Before co-founding Parabellum, Howie was a Managing Director of Credit Suisse for fifteen years. In 2006, he co-founded the Legal Risk Strategies & Finance business at Credit Suisse, which was the first institutional commercial litigation finance business of its kind, and which was spun off the bank’s platform as Parabellum Capital. Howie was a senior manager within the bank’s Leveraged Finance business and a member of the Global Credit Products Operating Committee. He also served as Head of Special Situations, responsible for developing niche strategies and new accretive businesses for the group, especially in unique, developing asset classes. Before joining the Bank, Howie practiced securities, bankruptcy and transactional law at the firms of Dewey Ballantine; Richards, Spears, Kibbe & Orbe; and Mandel & Esbin. Howie received his B.A., phi beta kappa, magna cum laude, from Columbia College and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Tel: (212) 726-2645
Email: hshams@parabellumcap.com
Aaron Katz
Chief Investment Officer
Aaron co-founded Parabellum Capital and serves as Chief Investment Officer. He is also a member of the Investment Committee. Aaron is a recognized leader in the U.S. commercial litigation finance market. He has been ranked by LawDragon as a global leader in litigation finance and a leading legal consultant and strategist, and by Who’s Who Legal as a thought leader in third-party funding. Before starting Parabellum, Aaron co-founded its predecessor, the Legal Risk Strategies & Finance business at Credit Suisse. He developed many of the innovative investment structures that are considered mainstream today. Previously, Aaron spent sixteen years practicing litigation at both the trial and appellate levels at major firms, including Davis Polk & Wardwell and DLA Piper, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan and clerked for the Honorable Anita Brody, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Aaron received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
Tel: (212) 726-2641
Email: akatz@parabellumcap.com
David Icikson
Chief Operating Officer, Head of Investor Relations
David has responsibility for the firm’s investor relations, capital formation, compliance, technology, and human resources functions. He is also a member of the Investment Committee and a director of the International Legal Finance Association. David joined Parabellum after spending fourteen years at Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, David served in several roles, including COO for Fixed Income North Americas Sales, Chief of Staff for Global Recruiting, and global head of Goldman Sachs University for the Securities Division. Prior to joining Goldman, David served as Deputy Executive Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he was a member of the Chief of Staff’s office for Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. David received his A.B. with High Distinction and Highest Honors from the University of Michigan, and his M.P.P. from Harvard University.
Tel: (212) 726-2643
Email: dicikson@parabellumcap.com
Angela Ni
Managing Director — Risk Management, Corporate Counsel
Angela is responsible for all aspects of Parabellum’s investment-related risk. She oversees, and ensures compliance with, all underwriting, documentation, monitoring, risk analytics, and risk management processes. She also leads the effort in the integration of cognitive and advanced analytic technological levers to provide data-driven insights for litigation outcome analysis. Angela is recognized as a “Global 100 Leader in Legal Finance” by Lawdragon and a “Thought Leader in Third-Party Funding” by Who’s Who Legal. Prior to Parabellum, Angela practiced for over a dozen years in AmLaw100 firms, and received distinctions as one of the Top Women Attorneys in the New York Metro Area, Rising Star in IP Litigation by Super Lawyers, and for outstanding service to veterans by the New York City Bar Justice Center. Angela received her B.S. from M.I.T. with Department Honors, a M.P.H. from Yale University, and a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Yale Alumni in Public Health, and is active on the M.I.T. Educational Council.
Tel: (212) 726-2646
Email: angelani@parabellumcap.com
Moshe Schwartz
Portfolio Manager, Corporate Counsel
Moshe has responsibility for investment structuring and pricing, as well as portfolio risk assessment and management. He is recognized as a “Thought Leader” in third-party funding by Who’s Who Legal. Prior to joining Parabellum, Moshe was a litigator at Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, focusing on complex commercial litigation. Moshe has experience in a variety of noteworthy litigation and transactional matters involving the finance, entertainment, and aviation industries. He has represented clients at all stages of the litigation process, from initial claims assessment through discovery and dispositive motion practice, judgment enforcement, appeals, and settlement. Moshe previously worked at Citco Fund Services, where he valued portfolio assets for various multi-strategy hedge funds. Moshe received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, Order of the Coif and magna cum laude, his M.B.A. in Finance from the Bar-Ilan School of Business, and his B.A. from Charter Oak State College. He is a CFA charterholder.
Tel: (212) 726-2649
Email: mschwartz@parabellumcap.com
Tamara Conway
Chief Compliance Officer, Deputy General Counsel
Tamara is responsible for Parabellum’s regulatory and compliance program. She has experience building and optimizing compliance programs and serving as regulatory liaison for investment advisors and high frequency trading firms. Prior to joining Parabellum, Tamara was Chief Compliance Officer for Menai Financial Group, a digital asset investment advisor and trading business. She has also held legal and regulatory positions at Tower Research Capital and Jane Street. She began her legal career clerking for the Honorable Andrew Peck (S.D.N.Y.). Before law school, Tamara spent eight years in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Technology division. Tamara received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, magna cum laude, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and a Stein Scholar; her M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from the Stern School of Business at NYU, with distinction, where she was a Stern Scholar; and her B.A. in Psychology from Hamilton College, cum laude.
Tel: (212) 217-6355
Email: tconway@parabellumcap.com
Dai Wai Chin Feman
Managing Director — Commercial Litigation, Corporate Counsel
Dai Wai is responsible for the development and execution of Parabellum's commercial litigation investment strategies. He has closed dozens of investments from inception with aggregate capital commitments in excess of $450 million. Dai Wai is one of three individuals in the US ranked to be Band 1 by Chambers for litigation funding and one of eight "industry leaders" in the Legal 500 rankings. He has also been recognized by Leaders League as one of the leading litigation funding professionals in the US, by Lawdragon as a global leader in legal finance, and by Lexology as the inaugural winner of the Client Choice Award for third-party funding in the US. He frequently speaks and comments on developing issues in the industry, and has written pieces for Bloomberg Law, Law360, Carrier Management, ACC Docket, Corporate Counsel, and The Law Reviews. Dai Wai also manages Parabellum’s public policy initiatives. He is a member of the US Regional Committee of the International Legal Finance Association (ILFA) and coordinator of ILFA’s global best practices working group. He also served as one of two industry representatives on the New York City Bar Association’s Litigation Funding Working Group, is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Litigation Committee, contributed to the Government Accountability Office’s study of litigation funding, is an alumnus of the New York City Bar Association's Professional Ethics Committee, and participated on the Uniform Law Commission's Third-Party Funding of Litigation Study Committee. Prior to joining Parabellum, Dai Wai was a litigation partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, where he specialized in commercial and antitrust litigation. Dai Wai has broad experience in all manners of complex commercial litigation, ranging from contract disputes to trade secret misappropriation to securities. He has advised and represented clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to closely-held family businesses through all phases of litigation. While in private practice, Dai Wai was consistently named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Business Litigation. Dai Wai received his A.B., cum laude, from Georgetown University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law. He is active in the Asian American Bar Association of New York, where he is a former board member, Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and Co-Chair of the Litigation Committee. He is also an alumnus and faculty member of the New York City Bar Association Associate Leadership Institute and a member of the New York City Bar Association Litigation Committee.
Tel: (212) 726-2640
Email: daiwai@parabellumcap.com
Sean Thompson
Managing Director — IP Investment Strategies, General Counsel
Sean is responsible for Parabellum’s investments in the intellectual property space. He also serves as the firm’s General Counsel. Ranked as one of the five leading IP funding practitioners by Chambers, Sean is also member of the IAM Strategy 300 and has been recognized as one of 100 global leaders in legal finance by LawDragon. Sean is an experienced IP litigator, having represented both patent owners and accused infringers. Before joining Parabellum, Sean was senior litigation counsel at a leading patent licensing firm. Prior to that, he was patent litigator at WilmerHale, where he represented some of the largest technology and pharmaceutical companies in the world. While at WilmerHale, he litigated cases involving patents directed to a wide range of technologies, including semiconductors, unmanned aerial vehicles, and pharmaceutical processes. Sean began his career at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Sean earned his joint J.D./LL.M. from Cornell Law School, where he was an editor of the Cornell Law Review. He received his B.A. from Boston College and his M.S. from the London School of Economics.
Tel: (212) 726-2644
Email: sthompson@parabellumcap.com
Yvonne Lee
Director — IP Investments, Corporate Counsel
Yvonne is responsible for developing and implementing Parabellum’s intellectual property investment strategy. Before joining Parabellum, Yvonne was counsel at WilmerHale, focusing primarily on IP litigation and IP counseling. She has represented Fortune 100 companies in proceedings at the ITC, district court, PTAB, and Federal Circuit, and has also worked with both established and emerging companies to develop patent portfolios. Yvonne received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.A. in Music from the University of California, San Diego, and an M.M. and a G.D. in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. Yvonne is a committee member of the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association and a member of the Boston Bar Association and ChIPs.
Tel: 212.204.7914
Email: ylee@parabellumcap.com
Claudia Linares
Senior Advisor — International Arbitration and Litigation, Corporate Counsel
Claudia Linares is responsible for the development of Parabellum’s investments in international arbitration and litigation. She is civil and common law trained, speaks multiple languages, and has experience working with claimants and lawyers across the world. Prior to joining Parabellum, Claudia was a Vice President at Tenor Capital Management, where she assessed and managed investments in international matters. Before entering the litigation finance space, Claudia specialized in international arbitration and energy matters at Fowler Rodriguez LLP. Her practice included complex transnational litigation, energy related disputes, and a wide range of transactional matters in the energy, infrastructure, and aeronautic industries. Claudia previously served as counsel for the National Hydrocarbons Agency of Colombia and Chief Legal Officer of the “Bid Round Colombia 2012”, the bi-yearly international tender offered by Colombia, which resulted in the award of 49 oil and gas concessions and billions in foreign and domestic investment for the country. Her government experience also includes working for the Office of the Comptroller General and the Ministry of Finance of Colombia. Claudia received her L.L.M. from Columbia Law School, J.D.s from Universidad Javeriana in Colombia and from Universidad del País Vasco in Spain, and a degree in Administrative Law from Universidad Javeriana in Colombia. She is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and the Republic of Colombia. Claudia is a member for the Steering Committee of the Colombian chapter of Women in the Profession (WIP), the New York City Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Colombian – American Association, and the International Bar Association.
Tel: 212.706.1013
Email: clinares@parabellumcap.com
William Weisman
Director — Commercial Litigation, Corporate Counsel
Will is responsible for developing and implementing Parabellum’s commercial litigation investment strategies. Will leverages his extensive experience in the litigation finance sector to source, structure, close, and manage commercial litigation investments. Prior to joining Parabellum, Will was a senior member of the investment team at Therium Capital Management, where he handled all facets of capital deployment throughout the United States legal market. Will has a wealth of expertise devising and executing bespoke financing transactions on behalf of litigants and law firms. Will also writes and speaks frequently on topics germane to litigation finance and the legal industry more broadly, and is recognized as a “Thought Leader in Third-Party Funding” by Who’s Who Legal. Before entering the litigation finance space, Will was an accomplished litigator. Will began his legal career as a complex commercial litigator at Proskauer Rose LLP. In addition to other practice areas, he was a member of the firm’s financial services practice group and regularly represented global financial institutions in litigation and regulatory matters. Will later joined Liberty International Underwriters, one of the nation’s largest insurance companies, where he was responsible for high exposure matters in the company’s directors & officers insurance business. Will earned his B.A., with honors, from the University of Maryland, and his J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where he was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. Additionally, Will served as a law clerk extern for Chief Judge Edward R. Korman of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Tel: 212.204.7912
Email: wweisman@parabellumcap.com
Susie Kim
Director — Underwriting
Susie is responsible for underwriting and monitoring Parabellum’s commercial investments. Before joining Parabellum, Susie was a litigator at Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner, Arent Fox, and Satterlee Stephens. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial disputes before federal courts, state courts, and domestic and international arbitration tribunals, with particular experience in drug pricing, financial services, insurance, and intellectual property litigation. Susie received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and A.B. from Princeton University.
Tel: (212) 726-2640
Email: skim@parabellumcap.com
John Sinna
Director — Risk Analytics
John oversees the firm’s risk analytics function. Prior to joining Parabellum, John held roles as a credit analyst and trader for McGinty Road Partners and Varde Partners. At McGinty Road Partners, he was responsible for establishing trading relationships, deal sourcing, and underwriting. He was formerly a member of the US Corporate Credit team for Varde Partners and ultimately spent two years building the Asia business in Singapore. John previously served as a merger arbitrage analyst and trader at Deephaven Capital and SAC Capital / CR Intrinsic. He began his career with Piper Jaffray as part of the Investment Banking Department. John received his B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and his MBA from Columbia Business School, where he was part of the Value Investing Program.
Tel: (212) 726-2640
Email: jsinna@parabellumcap.com
Charles Booth
Senior Advisor
Charles has origination and advisory roles within Parabellum’s commercial, bankruptcy, and special situations strategies. He is a recognized expert in comparative and cross-border insolvency and commercial law. Charles practiced law at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP from 1984-1986, taught at the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa from 1986-1989, and taught at the University of Hong Kong from 1989-2005 before returning to the Richardson School of Law in early 2006, where he currently serves as the Michael J. Marks Distinguished Professor in Business Law and the Director of the Institute of Asian-Pacific Business Law (IAPBL). Over the last decade, he has also served as a part-time Senior Advisor at Dentons as well as Senior Counsel at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Charles has served as a consultant on many insolvency and commercial law reform and training projects sponsored by the World Bank, the IMF, the Asian Development Bank, the EBRD, and the OECD. He is an active member of the International Insolvency Institute and lectures on the INSOL Global Insolvency Practice Course. In addition, he serves as Co-Director of the Professional Diploma in Insolvency Course, which is organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Charles received his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, from Yale College, and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
Tel: (212) 726-2640
Email: cbooth@parabellumcap.com
Ted Hesburgh
Vice President — Investor Relations and Capital Formation
Ted is responsible for supporting the firm’s investor relations and capital formation functions. Prior to joining Parabellum, Ted was an Associate at Evercore in the Private Funds Group, where he was responsible for originating, developing, and executing global capital raising campaigns for leading private equity sponsors across a variety of sectors. Prior to Evercore, Ted held a similar role at Aviditi Advisors. He began his career at J.P.Morgan in its Alternative Investments Group. Ted received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.
Tel: (212) 204-9690
Email: thesburgh@parabellumcap.com
David Ness
Managing Director — Finance
David has responsibility for all finance, tax, budget, accounting, internal control, and audit matters. Prior to joining Parabellum, David worked in public accounting for nine years specializing in financial services clients. He was a member of CohnReznick LLP’s commercial real estate tax group for over seven years, where he focused on compliance and consulting for real estate private equity funds and developers. David began his career at PwC. David received his B.S. from the Yeshiva University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Tel: (212) 726-2647
Email: dness@parabellumcap.com
Tina Gavin
Senior Controller
Tina is responsible for budget, financials, and reporting. Prior to joining Parabellum, Tina spent 14 years as a fund accountant for hedge funds, mutual funds, and a variety of private equity funds. Most recently, Tina worked as the Associate Manager for the accounting administration team of SS&C Technologies, where she worked with both real estate and litigation finance funds. Tina received her B.S. in Finance from Rowan University.
Tel: 212-726-2640
Email: tgavin@parabellumcap.com
Mary Sheehan
Senior Controller
Mary has responsibility for budget, financials, and reporting. Prior to joining Parabellum in 2013, Mary worked as a controller for an asset manager and a family office, both of which had significant onshore and offshore assets under management. Mary also served in various roles at WestLB and Citigroup. Mary received her B.B.A. from Baruch College with Honors and her M.S. in Accounting at SUNY Old Westbury.
Tel: (212) 726-2642
Email: msheehan@parabellumcap.com
Benjamin Lehmann
Senior Controller
Ben has responsibility for tax, budget, and accounting matters. Prior to joining Parabellum, Ben worked in public accounting for over three years. He began his career at Mazars USA LLP, specializing in tax compliance for real estate management and development companies. Ben received his B.S. from Yeshiva University and has passed all four parts of the CPA Exam.
Tel: (212) 204-7913
Email: blehmann@parabellumcap.com
Harry Steinberg
Investor Relations Analyst
Harry focuses on investor relations and LP documentation. Prior to working with Parabellum, Harry was an executive recruiter in the digital advertising space as well as a marketing consultant. Harry received his B.A. from New York University, where he was a member of Phi Eta Sigma and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
Tel: (212) 726-2640
Email: hsteinberg@parabellumcap.com
Caley Coughlan
Office Manager
Caley has responsibility for coordinating and overseeing administrative duties. Prior to joining Parabellum, she worked as a research assistant for Ferkauf’s Graduate School of Psychology. She received her B.A. in Psychology, cum laude, from Yeshiva University.
Tel: (212) 726-2645
Email: ccoughlan@parabellumcap.com