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 8017 5304
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 20 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
James joined Therium in 2019 from Slaughter and May, where he trained and practised as a senior associate in the multi-specialist dispute resolution team, working on commercial, competition and financial disputes, as well as white-collar and corporate investigations. James has experience of defending high-value follow-on and standalone competition damages claims, mass tort claims and other group claims across a number of sectors, as well as defending large corporates in breach of warranty and fraudulent misrepresentation claims and in investigations by the UK Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority. Key clients at Slaughter and May included Rolls-Royce, JP Morgan Chase, Marks & Spencer, Dentsu Aegis, EY and British American Tobacco, at the latter of which James spent six months on a client secondment working in the commercial litigation team.
James graduated from the University of Oxford (First Class Honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)) in 2009, where he came top of his year in Economics, and BPP Law School, London, in 2011, where he achieved a Distinction in both the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course.
james.dobias@therium.com
+44 (0) 20 3273460
Ben Smyth
Ben joined Therium in 2020, following more than 15 years in Investment Banking. Ben was most recently Head of Benelux and Nordics, within the Financial Institutions Debt Capital Markets advisory group, at UBS Investment Bank. In this role, he acted for some of the largest Banks and Insurance companies in Northern Europe, advising on liability optimisation. Ben has experience in originating, structuring and executing a number of high profile and complex credit instruments across multiple international jurisdictions, spanning Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Ben has been heavily involved with the development of regulatory capital instruments under the Solvency II and Capital Requirements Directive IV (CRD IV) regimes. He has acted on the inaugural Restricted Tier 1 (RT1) instrument from a European insurer (ASR Nederland), as well as the inaugural Additional Tier 1 bonds from banks based in Benelux (KBC Bank) and Sweden (Nordea Bank).
Ben achieved a First Class Degree (with Honours) in Economics from the University of Durham. He has also completed the Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP Law School, London, where he was awarded a Distinction.
ben.smyth@therium.com
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
Australia
Simon joined Therium in January 2019 as head of Therium Capital Management (Australia) Ltd and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
Prior to joining Therium, Simon spent 12 years with an international litigation funder, undertaking roles on its behalf in both Australia and the UK. Simon has significant funding experience, particularly in relation to class action and insolvency litigation, having managed a number of high-profile funded cases in both jurisdictions.
Prior to his funding experience, Simon worked with corporate regulators in both Australia and the UK and also with Ernst & Young.
Simon is graduated from La Trobe University with degrees in Arts (BA) and Law (LLB) in 1997 and was admitted to practice law in 1999.
simon.dluzniak@therium.com
+61 (0)419 584 285
Louise joined Therium in January 2018 in the newly established Melbourne office. Prior to joining Therium, Louise worked at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), managing consumer and competition law investigations.
As a Director, Louise led a wide variety of ACCC investigations into misconduct in various industry sectors, including as examples the telecommunications, waste management and retail & consumer goods sectors. She has advised at a high level on enforcement strategy and case formulation in complex matters, and managed proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia.
Louise has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) from Monash University.
louise.hird@therium.com
Continental Europe
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
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
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
UK and International
Tom Sibert
Tom joined Therium in 2016 and is the firm’s Chief Operating 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
Martin Middleton
Martin joined the team in June 2009, having previously worked for BDO after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2004. Martin is the Chief Financial Officer 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
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
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 18 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
Jo joined Therium in August 2018 as a Data Analyst based in the London Office. Before joining Therium, Jo worked as an analyst at a top tier law firm in New Zealand. Jo graduated with a commerce degree majoring in Information Systems and Operations and Supply Chain Management from the University of Auckland. Jo is responsible for analysing and tracking financial, operational and management information to support the various functions of Therium.
jo.westbrooke@therium.com
+44 (0)20 8017 5307
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
Samantha joined Therium in March 2019 as the Finance Assistant based in the London office. She provides support to the London and wider global finance team and assists in a range of internal management and external financial reporting functions as well as day-to-day operations of the business. Prior to joining Therium, Samantha was a financial advisor at a South African based insurance company. Samantha also has an Honours Bachelors degree in Economics.
Samantha.white@therium.com
+44 (0)20 8017 5303
Kate joined Therium in September 2019 as a Finance Assistant in the Asset Management Team. Kate holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge where she also conducted research and co-authored an R package with members of the Cambridge Statslab.
kate.mcdaid@therium.com
+44 (0)20 8017 5308
Sally joined the Therium team in September 2020 as a as a Finance Assistant in the Asset Management Team. She provides support to the London and wider global Asset Management team which includes input into and responsibility for a range of operational functions combining with the finance team.
Sally joins from the University of Edinburgh, where she received a First class MA (Hons) in Economics.
