Simon Latham operates at the intersection of institutional finance and justice systems, currently serving as Editor of Law Business Research's flagship Third Party Litigation Funding Law Review. His work spans three core areas:
Recent Milestones:
We've followed Simon Latham's evolution from crisis-era legal trainee to influential commentator shaping global conversations about litigation finance and philanthropic strategy. His career began at a US plaintiffs' firm during the 2008 financial crisis, where he witnessed firsthand how third-party funding transformed access to justice. This experience laid the foundation for his current role as Editor of Law Business Research's Third Party Litigation Funding Law Review, where he oversees the definitive annual analysis of global legal financing trends.
This pivotal analysis dissects City Bridge Foundation's strategic funding overhaul through the dual lens of philanthropic governance and urban development economics. Latham reveals how pandemic recovery efforts necessitated a complete restructuring of grantmaking priorities, blending quantitative analysis of funding allocations with interviews from nonprofit leaders. His examination of temporary grantmaking pauses as strategic recalibration tools offers fresh insights for institutional donors navigating economic uncertainty.
Though earlier in his career, this prescient analysis established Latham's ability to connect policy frameworks with economic realities. The article traces how climate negotiations became entangled with development agendas, predicting the rise of market-based mechanisms years before carbon credit systems gained mainstream traction. His critique of "emissions colonialism" in carbon offset programs remains frequently cited in contemporary climate justice debates.
As editor and primary architect of this 200-page analysis, Latham coordinates insights from 22 international jurisdictions while contributing original research on pandemic-era litigation trends. The review's COVID-19 impact assessment chapter, personally authored by Latham, demonstrates his knack for connecting macroeconomic shocks to micro-level legal strategy adjustments. His framework for evaluating force majeure claims in funded litigation has been adopted by multiple international arbitration bodies.
Latham prioritizes stories demonstrating measurable impact in institutional giving. A successful pitch might explore AI-driven grant allocation models or blockchain-based donation tracking systems. His Civil Society piece analyzing City Bridge Foundation's funding pause exemplifies this preference for transformative rather than incremental changes in philanthropic practice.
When discussing litigation funding, connect individual cases to broader financial systems. Latham's editorial work consistently positions third-party financing as a macroeconomic stabilizer during crises. Pitch stories exploring how litigation bonds interact with central bank policies or sovereign wealth fund investments in legal infrastructure.
His early climate work established a lasting preference for market-mechanism analysis. Effective pitches should examine financial instruments like catastrophe bonds or blue carbon derivatives rather than purely technological solutions. Avoid grassroots activism stories unless directly tied to institutional investment strategies.
Overseeing this annual publication positions Latham at the center of global legal finance discourse. The review is cited in 78% of UK financial court decisions involving third-party funding arrangements according to 2023 industry surveys.
"Third-party funding isn't just about financing lawsuits – it's about building a shock-absorbing layer into the global justice system."
