A tool to promote diversity in law
The Equity Project is an award-winning initiative that leverages Burford’s legal finance capital and industry leadership to help close the diversity gap in commercial litigation and arbitration.
Since launching The Equity Project in 2018, Burford has committed a cumulative $169 million to fund commercial litigation and arbitration led by female and racially diverse lawyers.
Companies can use Equity Project capital to advance their diversity goals through their legal spend—by encouraging the firms that represent them to appoint female and racially diverse lawyers on their matters and award them appropriate origination credit.
When Equity Project investments resolve successfully and generate expected returns, Burford will contribute some of our proceeds to a charitable organization focused on advancing female and racially diverse lawyers on behalf of our client. Businesses and law firms using Equity Project capital can feel doubly good about their impact.
Firms committed to gender and racial diversity can encourage female and racially diverse litigators to take on matters that require significant investment.
Matters that meet Burford’s investment criteria qualify for Equity Project financing if one of the following criteria apply:
- A female or racially diverse litigator serves as first or second chair
- The firm representing the client is a woman- or minority-owned law firm (more than 50% of the equity is owned by female or racially diverse lawyers)
- A female or racially diverse litigator receives origination credit for the matter or the client relationship
- A female or racially diverse partner serves as chair of the plaintiffs’ steering committee or as plaintiffs’ lead counsel
- A female or racially diverse barrister is leading the advocacy on the matter