Legal finance helps companies unlock working capital for revenue-generating investment
- Monetization
- Antitrust & competition
Many businesses view litigation as risk or cost, not something that can help fuel growth. In this case, a regional retail business saw a different way forward: Its pending antitrust opt-out claim represented value, but that value was locked in a future outcome. Rather than leave those funds sitting idle, the company recognized that legal finance could convert part of that future value into capital available now, enabling further investment in the business.
The challenge: Company capital tied up in antitrust claim
The retailer wanted to invest in a large-scale rebrand to drive stronger customer engagement and higher revenue. Yet with resources tied up in a pending claim, it lacked the capital to act immediately. But the business lacked the liquidity to act. Much of its capital was tied up in a pending antitrust opt-out claim — an asset with real value, but one that would not yield cash until the litigation concluded.
The solution: Monetization for business growth
Instead of waiting years for the litigation to resolve, the company worked with Burford to monetize a portion of its claim. Claim monetization is a form of legal finance in which a business effectively unlocks the value of an unresolved legal entitlement by receiving capital today in exchange for part of the future proceeds. Unlike borrowing, monetization does not add debt to the balance sheet or require repayment if the case underperforms. And unlike selling the claim, it allows the business to retain control and the majority of the eventual upside.
In this case, Burford provided $10 million against the future value of the company’s pending claim. This immediate infusion of capital gave the retailer the ability to invest in rebranding without sacrificing control of its legal strategy or its right to a portion of the eventual recovery.
The impact: Immediate cash infusion reduced opportunity cost and increased liquidity
The monetization freed capital that would otherwise have remained locked away, enabling the retailer to move forward with rebranding at the right time. The refreshed stores improved customer impressions, drove higher foot traffic, and delivered measurable revenue gains.
The financing freed up capital that would otherwise have remained “captive” in the litigation to be put to use in revenue-generating initiatives today. More broadly, this case demonstrates how legal finance can enable companies to transform opportunity into action — converting future legal claims into working capital without taking on undue risk, and aligning litigation strategy with growth planning.
