Committed
Our experienced team is located across jurisdictions to best serve our clients internationally.
UK and international
John Byrne
John co-founded Therium in 2008 and is a director of Therium Capital Management Limited and the firm’s Chief Executive Officer. John is a solicitor and was formerly a corporate partner at Nabarro Nathanson, then managing partner of the London office of Dorsey & Whitney. In the latter role, John acquired PwC's tax litigation team and a VAT litigation team from Ernst & Young. John has previously been listed by Chambers as one of the UK's best business lawyers. John has LLB and LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
john.byrne@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3463
Neil Purslow
Neil co-founded Therium in 2008 and is a director of Therium Capital Management Limited and the firm’s Chief Investment Officer. Neil is a solicitor with over 17 years’ experience and was previously Litigation Counsel in-house for Marsh & MacLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC). Prior to this he was in practice in the City of London with US firm Reed Smith and Withers. He is a board member of the Association of Litigation Funders the self-regulatory body for the litigation funding industry in England and Wales, of which Therium is a founding member. Neil speaks regularly at conferences and is often quoted in the media on issues related to litigation funding. He gained an MA in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford (1995). Neil Purslow was ranked as a Tier 1 litigation funder by Chambers and Partners.
neil.purslow@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3464
Timothy Mayer
Tim joined Therium from another litigation funder in 2015. He has advised on funded claims valued in excess of £350m. Tim is a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (Queen Mary) Task Force on Third Party Funding in International Arbitration, and was formerly Company Secretary and a director of the Association of Litigation Funders of England & Wales. He was a member of the Third Party Funding Working Party that drafted the Code of Conduct for Litigation Funders in England and Wales following the Jackson Review. Previously, Tim was an in-house barrister for Allianz Litigation Funding and formerly of Ropewalk Chambers, Nottingham, and No 5 Chambers, Birmingham. He was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1997 and took Firsts in both Jurisprudence (1995) and the Bachelor of Civil Law degree (1996) at Oriel College, Oxford.
tim.mayer@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3466
Nicholas Moore
Nick joined Therium in 2015 from another litigation funder after seven years at CMS Cameron McKenna as a litigator. He has acted in numerous domestic and international litigation and arbitration cases, advising on claims involving insurance brokers, solicitors and professional indemnity insurers. He has also advised London and international market insurers and reinsurers upon inwards and outwards reinsurance and retrocession disputes. Nick acted for another funder in the widely reported Harcus Sinclair v Buttonwood Legal Capital Ltd and Others [2013] EWHC 1193 which was the first reported case to consider termination of third party litigation funding agreements under the new Jackson regime. Nick graduated from Durham University (LLB) in 2004 and Nottingham Law School (LPC) in 2006.
nick.moore@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3465
Jeunesse Mensier
Jeunesse joined Therium in 2017 from another litigation funder. Previously, she was a project manager at Group Action Edge Limited (formerly eSystems Case Management Limited), where her role included working on a complex and high profile £14 billion court action affecting numerous vulnerable individuals. She has worked in a wide range of organisations, including law firms, charities and international investment banks. Jeunesse graduated from Oxford Brookes University (BA) in 2006 and Nottingham Law School (LPC) in 2009.
jeunesse.mensier@therium.com
+44 (0)20 3327 3460
Stephen Akers
Stephen leads Therium’s global insolvency funding practice, based in London. He is one of the world’s leading insolvency practitioners, with a career stretching more than three decades, in which he has worked on some of the most complex, multi-jurisdictional insolvency cases involving substantial litigation. Stephen has considerable experience of litigating in not just the UK but also in New York, Paris, Cayman Islands, BVI, Bermuda, Jersey and Guernsey, involving cases that have successfully recovered or defended many billions of dollars. Previously, Stephen was a partner at Grant Thornton for 16 years and a partner at Deloitte for 15 years. His insolvency cases include: liquidator of the Saad Group of Companies, the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, with loans of $330bn being churned over nearly three decades, impacting over 100 banks; liquidator of Bank of Credit and Commerce International SA, once the world’s seventh largest bank, which failed in 1991; liquidator of the UK entity of Madoff Securities Limited, used to wash funds through London as part of the $68bn Ponzi scheme; and roles for Kaupthing Bank hf Winding-Up Committee. Stephen graduated from Leicester University in 1975 (BSc in Mathematics), qualified as a chartered accountant through the ICAEW in 1980 and became a licensed insolvency practitioner in 1987.
steve.akers@therium.com
Elly Brindle
Elly joined Therium in 2018 from Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where she was commercial litigation and international arbitration lawyer, practising commercial, competition, and financial disputes, as well as white-collar fraud and corporate investigations. Elly’s work at Boies Schiller focused on major high-stakes disputes, including representing Apple in its global antitrust litigation against Qualcomm; Midtown Acquisitions LP, a Davidson Kempner affiliate, in its multi-jurisdictional judgment enforcement against Essar Global Fund Limited; A1 noteholders in their successful High Court litigation and settlement against the Canary Wharf Group; a major hedge fund in relation to complex High Court proceedings against Terra Firma Capital Partners’ Four Seasons Healthcare Groups; and several significant commercial and investor-state arbitrations.
Previously, Elly trained and practised at Freshfields, where she was an Associate in the firm’s Commercial Disputes team. Elly graduated from the University of Cambridge (BA first class) in 2011, before pursuing a postgraduate year in Management Studies at the Cambridge Judge Business School. She completed her Graduate Diploma in Law and Accelerated LPC at BPP Law School, London, graduating with distinction in 2014.
elly.brindle@therium.com
+44 (0)20 3327 3460
Deniz joined Therium in September 2017 as an Investment Team Assistant. Based in the London office, she provides support to the London and international investment teams and assists with the office management. Prior to joining Therium, Deniz was an office manager with global estate agent Fine & Country. Deniz also has a foundation degree in Forensic Science.
deniz.shefki@therium.com
+44 (0)20 3327 3460
North America
Eric Blinderman
Eric is the Chief Executive Officer of Therium Inc. Eric is a seasoned international and commercial litigator who, while at Proskauer Rose LLP, has represented governmental and private entities in the U.S., Middle East, China, Europe, and Canada in complex litigations and international commercial arbitrations. Eric also worked for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Justice – including serving in Iraq as Chief Legal Counsel and Associate Deputy to the Regime Crimes Liaison’s Office, where he served as the principal U.S. attorney responsible for advising on all matters of law and procedure in the trial of Saddam Hussein and seven other co-defendants. Eric holds a Masters of Legal Studies with distinction from the University of Oxford, a Juris Doctor cum laude from Cornell Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in communications with a concentration in government from Cornell University. Eric is also the founder and owner of a critically acclaimed restaurant in New York City called Mas (farmhouse), and he is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School where he teaches International Commercial Arbitration.
eric.blinderman@therium.com
+1 (212) 951 0727
Patrick J. Dempsey
Patrick joined Therium in 2016 as Chief Investment Officer for the United States. Patrick is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer who has regularly taken cases through to trial and arbitral hearings, with extensive experience in complex commercial litigation (including international arbitration and other cross-border disputes), as well as trademark and patent disputes, trade secret theft, and regulatory investigations in a broad range of industries. Before joining Therium, Patrick was an associate at Hogan Lovells and at Proskauer. He received his Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School, magna cum laude, where he was Managing Editor of the Tulane Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Patrick externed for the Honorable Sarah S. Vance of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
patrick.dempsey@therium.com
+1 (212) 951 0774
William H. Weisman
Will is a highly experienced attorney who began his legal career as a litigator at Proskauer Rose LLP, where he was a member of Proskauer’s financial services practice group and specialised in complex commercial litigation. Will subsequently joined the law firm Gordon & Rees LLP, where he handled all aspects of high-stakes litigations at the trial and appellate level. Will joined Therium from Liberty International Underwriters Inc., where he oversaw high exposure matters on behalf of the company’s Directors & Officers insurance business. Will received his law degree, cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where he was Notes & Comments Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. While in law school, Will externed for the Honorable Edward R. Korman, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
william.weisman@therium.com
+1 (212) 951 0774
Elizabeth Korchin
Elizabeth joined Therium in 2018 from Hogan Lovells, where she was a partner in the firm’s litigation and arbitration group. Although Elizabeth has a particular expertise in technology-related matters, her practice focused on high-stakes complex commercial litigation and arbitration across a wide variety of areas of substantive law, including Lanham Act, RICO, ERISA, False Claims Act, antitrust, consumer protection, and contract claims, among others, and she has handled all aspects of litigation including multiple jury trials, bench trials, and international arbitration hearings on the merits, as well as appellate proceedings. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has been a champion for justice through pro bono work, especially in her advocacy for child refugees and torture survivors. Elizabeth received her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2008, and her undergraduate degree from Duke University in 2005.
elizabeth.korchin@therium.com
+1 (212) 951 1745
Continental Europe
Ignacio Delgado Larena-Avellaneda
Ignacio joined Therium's continental Europe team as a consultant in 2016. He has more than a decade of professional practice experience, having worked at several Spanish and international law firms, mainly in commercial litigation. After obtaining a first degree in law, Ignacio completed his studies with a Master of Law at the Bar Association of Madrid.
ignacio.delgado@therium.com
+34 (0) 606 200 001
Christoph Kuzaj
Christoph is the managing director of Therium Deutschland GmbH. With more than 20 years of experience, Christoph has specialised in corporate and capital markets law with a particular focus on complex corporate litigation. Christoph's litigation practice extends to disputes arising out of private and public M&A-transactions, including defensive actions in takeovers, and corporate special situations. Christoph is admitted to the German Bar Association, holds a degree in law with distinction and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude. Christoph attained his Juris Doctor on completion of his postgraduate studies on specific fields of German Civil Procedure Law.
christoph.kuzaj@therium.com
+49 (0) 211 2600 6550
Carsten joined Therium Deutschland GmbH at the beginning of 2018 as an Investment Officer. After a formal education certificate program in banking with a real estate investment bank, Carsten specialised in the fields of corporate, stock market and banking law. He holds a degree in law and was admitted to the German Bar Association in 1996. Carsten´s long-term litigation practice, first as a managing director of Germany`s leading association for the protection of security holders and later as an attorney-at-law (Rechtsanwalt), extends from collective actions conducted for damaged investors to the perception of appraisal rights in corporate special situations. A particular focus lies on court proceedings pursuant to the German Act on Legal Appraisal Proceedings, where Carsten serves as a joint representative for the minority shareholders. Carsten has profound expertise in banking and securities law, including exchange trading practices, and is working as a lecturer for Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in these fields.
carsten.heise@therium.com
+49 (0) 211 2600 6552
Nordic
Henrik Berg
Henrik is CEO of Therium Nordic AS. He has more than 20 years of experience as a management consultant in Scandinavia, having worked for firms including PA Consulting Group, Qvartz and Pareto Group. He holds an MSc in economics and business administration from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.
henrik.berg@therium.no
+47 91 36 15 15
Henrik Jensen
Henrik is Chairman of Therium Nordic AS. He is an experienced lawyer and has been admitted to the Supreme Court of Norway. Henrik founded and is an active owner of two law firms (Legalis and Legal24) and a legal insurance company (Legal Insurance Group) in Norway and Scandinavia. Henrik completed his first degree in law in Oslo, followed by a Master of Law at the Max-Planck-Institute in Munich, with a thesis in EU copyright-law.
henrik@therium.no
+47 91 81 77 79
Financial Markets
Hanif Virji
Hanif leads Therium AHV Financial Markets, a joint venture with his firm AHV Associates, a financial markets and corporate finance advisor. Hanif has worked in the financial markets for over 25 years and is a leading practitioner in derivatives. Prior to founding AHV in 2001, Hanif spent more than a decade in investment banking, which included senior leadership roles in derivatives and innovative financial instruments at Crédit Agricole Indosuez, J.P. Morgan Securities, Lazard Brothers & Co., and Barclays de Zoette Wedd Securities. Hanif conducted research in theoretical Physics having graduated with a first class degree in Physics from the University of Bristol.
hvirji@ahvassociates.com
+44 (0) 20 7958 9005
Jersey
David Wilson
David is a member of Therium’s investment committee in Jersey and a director of Therium Group Holdings Limited. He has almost 30 years’ experience as a commercial litigator, initially in England with CMS Cameron McKenna LLP and then as a lead advocate and partner of Jersey law firms, Mourant Ozannes and most recently, Oben Law. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from King’s College, University of London (1987) and a Diploma from the Institute of Directors (2006).
david.wilson@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3464
Robert Clifford
Robert is a member of Therium’s investment committee in Jersey and a director of Therium Group Holdings Limited. He has over 25 years of experience in wealth management and asset structuring. Robert has an LLB (Hons) degree from King's College, London and, after qualifying as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1987, he was managing director of trust companies in Jersey and Guernsey. Robert acted as CEO of Investec Trust Group for eight years from 2001 and now works with a small group of VHNW families in relation to their wealth and asset structuring. Robert has also developed an online trust management system, Fidusys, which is designed to bring transparency and online reporting to the fiduciary environment.
robert.clifford@therium.com
John Medina
John is a director of Therium Group Holdings Limited. He has over 25 years’ experience in accountancy, taxation, trust and corporate management and fund administration services. He works closely with professional advisers in developing and implementing structures for private, corporate and fund clients. John is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the International Tax Planning Association.
john.medina@therium.com
+44 (0) 1534 835 835
Christina Gates
Christina joined Therium during May 2016 and is Head of Jersey Operation of Therium Group Holdings Limited. In addition to setting up and managing Therium's Jersey office, Christina is responsible for administration of the Jersey based corporate entities and associated cases within the Therium group. Prior to joining Therium, Christina worked for 18 years in the finance industry, including 16 years spent within the trust and fiduciary services industry with ultimate responsibility for the administration of a variety of complex fiduciary structures whilst living in Switzerland and Jersey. Christina's professional qualifications include the Diploma in Trust and Estate Practice awarded by the Institute of Financial Services and the STEP Diploma in International Trust Management awarded by Central Law Training International.
christina.gates@therium.com
+44 (0)1534 872747
Dawn Walters
Dawn joined Therium in November 2016 and is based in the Jersey office. As Group Accounting Manager of Therium Group Holdings Limited, Dawn is responsible for the bookkeeping and preparation of financial statements for the Jersey based corporate entities within the Therium group. Dawn has extensive accounting and bookkeeping experience, having commenced her career within Jersey's finance industry in 1996.
dawn.walters@therium.com
+44 (0)1534 872747
Mandy McKeever
Based in Therium’s Jersey office, Mandy joined Therium Group Holdings Limited during May 2017. In her role as Administration Assistant, Mandy works closely with the Jersey team to provide support with the administration of the Jersey based corporate entities and associated cases within the Therium group. Mandy also helps with co-ordination of Therium events and meetings, together with the day to day running of the office situated at 13 Royal Square, St Helier, Jersey. Prior to joining Therium, Mandy worked as a Document Imaging and Scanning Officer for Standard Chartered Bank. Earlier roles have included café and community centre management and working as a personal assistant to the Managing Director of a Jersey systems vendor.
mandy.mckeever@therium.com
+44 (0)1534 872747
Emma Naisbitt
Emma joined Therium Group Holdings Limited as Compliance Officer during April 2018 and is based in the Jersey office. Prior to joining Therium, Emma spent 15 years in the finance industry both in Jersey and the Cayman Islands, primarily in a trust and fiduciary capacity, with overall responsibility for the administration of various structures. Emma has obtained the STEP Diploma in International Trust Management, together with the Certificate in Anti Money Laundering Awareness.
emma.naisbitt@therium.com
00 44 (0)1534 872747
Jill Wallace-Sims
Jill joined Therium Group Holdings Limited’s Jersey office during October 2017. In her role as Bookkeeper, Jill provides support to the Jersey team with regard to day to day financial administration. Jill has a wealth of prior experience in administration and accounting support roles. Following a career break to raise her family, Jill worked in the retail sector for six years immediately prior to joining Therium.
Jill.Wallace-Sims@therium.com
00 44 (0) 1534 872747
UK and International
Tom Sibert
Tom joined Therium in 2016 as General Counsel and Investment Officer. Before joining Therium, he was a partner in the Corporate department of the London office of global law firm, K&L Gates LLP. During this time, he advised on a broad range of corporate transactions with a particular focus on cross border mergers and acquisitions, both public and private, and corporate finance. Other practice areas included private equity and venture capital transactions, joint ventures and complex commercial agreements. He was recommended by the Legal 500 in relation to mergers & acquisitions and commercial contracts, in which sources described him as 'a brilliant draftsman' and praised the 'quality and pragmatism' of his advice. Tom attended the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law and was called to the Bar in 2000. He was then admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales in 2002.
tom.sibert@therium.com
+44 (0)20 3327 3469
Robert Dwyer
Robert is a member of Therium’s investment committee in the U.S. and the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Therium Inc. Until retiring from the practice of law at the end of 2013, Bob spent his entire career at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Bob had significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, tax planning and compliance, and representation of start-up and development-stage companies. Bob was formerly Partner–in-Charge of Dorsey’s New York office, and a member of Dorsey’s Management Committee and Policy Committee. Bob has a degree in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas and a law degree from the University of Minnesota, cum laude. Bob is a certified public accountant in the State of Minnesota on inactive status.
robert.dwyer@therium.com
+1 (212) 951 0570
Martin Middleton
Martin joined the team in June 2009, having previously worked for BDO after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2004. Martin is financial controller for Therium Capital Management Limited and is responsible for all aspects of financial and risk management for the firm.
martin.middleton@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3462
Ben Mawji
Ben joined Therium in April 2017 as Finance Manager and is based in the London office. Ben qualified in 2017 as a chartered accountant after working at PwC, where he worked with large investment banks. Ben supports the financial controller in all aspects of financial and risk management for the firm. Ben graduated in Economics from University of Birmingham in 2012.
ben.mawji@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3467
Jo Mepham
Jo is Operations Manager for Therium Capital Management Limited, having joined at the beginning of 2016 from within the industry. She has spent the last 13 years working within the litigation market and has been involved in the placement of both large national and international business. Experienced in designing, building and maintaining supporting systems, Jo is responsible for running projects through from the initial concept phase to monitoring and controlling fully functional operations.
jo.mepham@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3461
Sarah Marshall
Sarah has worked in the legal industry for 20 years (both in private practice and industry) and is Therium’s Office Manager. She started as a Legal Secretary in a Cambridge law firm where she gained an A level in Law in her spare time, before moving with her team to the London office of American firm, Dorsey & Whitney, where John Byrne was head of the office. Sarah now works closely with John Byrne looking after Therium’s expanding group structure and special projects.
sarah.marshall@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3327 3460
Desirée Maghoo
Desirée advises Therium Capital Management Limited on marketing and public relations. Desirée has over twenty years of global corporate communications, investor relations and marketing experience in financial and legal services. Formerly, Desirée was Europe and Asia Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing for Jefferies International, a US headquartered Investment Bank. Prior to joining Jefferies, Desirée was a partner at Cubitt Consulting where she helped to lead the Financial Institutions Group. Earlier in her career, Desirée worked at DF King and the Maitland Consultancy. Desirée has experience in advising on a range of capital markets transactions and litigation matters. Desirée has an MBA from The London Business School and a BSc Hons in Politics from the University of Bristol.
desiree.maghoo@therium.com
+44 (0) 7775 522740
Based in the London office, Willow joined Therium in August 2017. In her role as Admin Assistant, Willow works closely with the Therium team to provide support with functional operations and invoicing. Prior to Therium, Willow completed a bachelor degree in Psychology and worked for 2 years in the financial industry specialising in personal lending and home loan lending.
