Burford Capital Further Strengthens US Commercial Team with Senior Hires

New York, March 11, 2026 – Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today announces four senior additions to its US Commercial investment team: Vanessa Biondo, Samuel Kwak, Kanika Shah and Stephanie Southwick. Each joins Burford from prominent law firms or financial institutions active in legal finance, further deepening the firm’s underwriting bench in the US market.

Burford’s US Commercial team evaluates and structures capital solutions for law firms and corporate claimants, partnering routinely with elite litigation firms, including many Am Law 100 firms, and Fortune 500 companies. As commercial legal finance becomes increasingly institutionalized, Burford continues to invest in building a team of senior litigation and investment professionals with experience in complex, high-value disputes. These additions further strengthen Burford’s ability to underwrite and finance meritorious commercial litigation, including antitrust, breach of contract and bankruptcy and insolvency matters, as well as other complex business disputes.

“Commercial legal finance is now an established market, and Burford’s financing solutions continue to evolve in sophistication to meet the business and capital needs of our law firm and corporate partners,” said Evan Meyerson, Managing Director and head of Burford’s US Commercial investment team. “The scale and complexity of the matters we see today require rigorous underwriting and disciplined capital allocation. Our counterparties both expect careful evaluation of case strength, recoverability and downside exposure, combined with bespoke transaction structuring that aligns interests over the life of a dispute. Vanessa, Sam, Kanika and Stephanie bring substantial experience in complex disputes and risk assessment, strengthening our ability to deploy capital selectively in support of law firms and corporations alike.”

Additions to Burford’s US Commercial team include:

·       Vanessa Biondo, Vice President, New York, who joined from private practice and in-house leadership roles. Biondo litigated for over 20 years, and was a partner at Mayer Brown LLP, Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP, and Cyrulnik Fattaruso LLP. She also served as General Counsel for Success Academy Charter Schools. Biondo earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Princeton University.

·       Sam Kwak, Vice President, New York, who practiced at Selendy Gay PLLC, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. Kwak earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, his Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School and his Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. He clerked for the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

·       Kanika Shah, Director, New York, who brings both litigation and investment experience, previously originated and evaluated legal finance investments as a Director at Fortress Investment Group and practiced law at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Shah earned her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and clerked for the Honorable William F. Kuntz, II, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

·       Stephanie Southwick, Director, California, who previously served as Senior Investment Counselor at Law Finance Group and as an Investment Manager at Omni Bridgeway. She also practiced as Managing Partner of Greenfield Southwick LLP. Southwick earned her Juris Doctor, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.

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