Skip to main content

Business News Releases

Therium to launch full service litigation funding operations in Australia in January 2019

THERIUM Capital Management, a leading provider of litigation finance globally with over $800 million of assets under management, announced today that it is planning to launch a full service offering in Australia on January 1, 2019.

Therium Australia will be based in Melbourne. Founded in 2009, Therium Capital Management is one of the largest and most established litigation financing firms in the world. The firm has funded claims valued at $36 billion.

Therium’s full service operations in Australia will be headed by Simon Dluzniak, an experienced litigation funding professional, who has worked in the industry in both Australia and the UK since the early 2000s.

Within Australia, Therium will finance class actions and general commercial, insolvency and arbitration claims. Therium Australia will also seek to develop the country’s emerging corporate funding and portfolio funding markets.

Outside of Australia, Therium Australia will look to fund arbitration claims in Hong Kong and Singapore, both of which are emerging markets for litigation finance.

Therium has funded claims in Australia since 2011 and is currently funding high profile shareholder class actions against financial services firms AMP Ltd and Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd, as well as delivery management software company GetSwift Ltd.

Neil Purslow, co-founder and chief investment officer of Therium, will be speaking about litigation funding at a Herbert Smith Freehills class action panel in Melbourne on October 17.

He said, “We know the Australian litigation funding market well as we have been active in the country for several years. We are seeing a healthy demand for our services across a range of litigation areas and industries in Australia, so it is the natural moment for us to open an office in the country.

“The market in Australia for litigation funding of class actions, general commercial cases and insolvency matters is both well-established and currently very buoyant. There is also a very substantial opportunity for Australian corporates to use funding as a form of off balance sheet finance, and for us to also provide portfolio funding to them – and the law firms that act for them. Both of these are established funding practices in the UK and the USA.”

Therium has operations across Europe, including in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia, and in the US. Therium was the first commercial litigation funder to be have operations on the ground in Germany and Scandinavia and it was the first European firm to launch a full service business in the USA.

Litigation funding allows individuals and companies to take on litigation and arbitration cases that they might not otherwise be able to afford, and/or to hedge the costs and risks involved in such matters. Therium pays for all of the costs, including adverse costs in the event that the case is lost, and only receives payment if the case is won.

About Therium

Founded in 2009, Therium is a leading global litigation financing firm with a market-leading track record of generating superior returns for its investors. The firm works across all forms of commercial litigation and arbitration and invests in a broad range of complex commercial disputes, from securities and shareholder actions, international arbitration, competition and antitrust cases, through to intellectual property, insolvency and class actions. In February 2018, Therium announced its latest fund of £200m, which the company is now actively deploying, and Therium has now raised nearly $800 million since its foundation. To date, the firm globally has funded claims valued at $36 billion. Therium has consistently been at the forefront of innovation in litigation finance, pioneering the combined use of insurance tools alongside funding vehicles, and introducing portfolio funding products into the UK.

The firm’s ability to develop innovative funding arrangements and bespoke financial solutions for litigants and law firms complements its unmatched experience and rigorous approach to funding a wide range of commercial disputes in varying jurisdictions throughout the world. In Chambers and Partners’ inaugural litigation support directory this year, Therium was ranked as a Tier 1 litigation funder. Therium is a founder member of the Association of Litigation Funders.

www.therium.com

  • Created on .

Phone and internet complaints 'turning a corner'

RESIDENTIAL consumers and small businesses made 167,831 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in the last financial year (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018).

Complaints about phone and internet services increased by 6.2 percent for the full year, however, complaints dropped by 17.8 percent in the final quarter (April to June 2018) compared with quarter three (January to March 2018).

Publishing the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s 2017/18 Annual Report on October 17, Ombudsman Judi Jones said, “The number of complaints about telecommunications services in Australia appear to be turning a corner.

“Declining complaints across all landline, mobile and internet services are a positive indicator of recent industry, government and regulator efforts to address the disruption to telecommunications products and services of the past few years.  

“We all want to get to the same point, a positive consumer experience where expectations are more likely to be met. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman continues to be committed to reducing complaints, and our purpose and unique role remains clear – to ensure residential consumers and small businesses have access to a free, fair, independent and effective alternative dispute resolution service.”

Complaint highlights for the period July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 include:

  • 167,831 total complaints were received, an increase of 6.2 percent.
  • Complaints overall dropped 17.8 percent in Q4 of 2017/18 compared with Q3.
  • 146,958 complaints (87.6 percent) were from residential consumers.
  • 20,433 complaints (12.2 percent) were from small businesses.
  • Complaints from small businesses increased 8.7 percent in 2017/18 to 20,433.
  • 52 potential systemic issues were notified to providers, and 30 systemic matters resulted in the provider agreeing to, or making, changes to its system, process or practice.
  • 51,328 complaints were about mobile phone services (30.6 percent), followed by complaints about multiple services 49,875 (29.7 percent).
  • 14,589 complaints were recorded in 2017/18 about establishing a connection to the National Broadband Network. Between January 1 and June 30, complaints per 1,000 premises added to the Network decreased from 9.2 to 9.0.
  • 27,008 complaints were recorded in 2017/18 about Service Quality on the National Broadband Network. Between 1 January and 30 June complaints per 1,000 premises added to the Network decreased from 4.1 to 3.2

Complaints about Landline, Mobile, Internet, Multiple Services and Property*

  • 51,328 complaints (30.6 percent) were recorded about mobile phone services.
  • 49,875 complaints (29.7 percent) were recorded about multiple services*.
  • 46,703 complaints (27.8 percent) were recorded about internet services.
  • 18,736 complaints (11.2 percent) were recorded about landline phone services.
  • 1,189 complaints (0.7 percent) were recorded about property.

ends

  • Created on .

Public hearings commence on Encryption Bill

THE first public hearing on the Telecommunication and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 will be held on Friday in Canberra, with representations from tech companies, telecommunications carriers and user groups.

Additional hearings will be held in late October or early November.

The Committee will continue to accept submissions as part of its review of the Bill.

Public hearing details: 8.15 am – 4.30 pm, Friday 19 October, Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be live streamed (audio and visual) at www.aph.gov.au/live.

The full program of the hearing will be available closer to the hearing date at aph.gov.au/pjcis

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

ends

  • Created on .

Groups to discuss impediments to business investment

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hold a public hearing in Canberra on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 for its inquiry into impediments to business investment.

The chair of the committee, Tim Wilson MP, said the committee would examine how government at all levels can better support business investment in Australia.

The committee will hear from INPEX, Japan’s largest oil and gas exploration company, which has been investing in Australia since 1986. INPEX cautioned that "Australia’s high cost business environment that reduces the country's international competitiveness’ is the ‘most significant challenge to the growth of Australia's natural gas industry".

In its submission, INPEX called for the Australian Government to better support business "through domestic policy settings that are stable and competitive; and international policies that promote open trade and investment, and stronger ties with Asia".

Commpete will cover competition in digital communications. Its submission focuses on the National Broadband Network, in particular how customers would benefit from increased competition beyond the four largest current broadband retailers (Telstra, Optus, TPG and iiNet).

The committee will also hear from the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub. Blockchain technology is becoming a core infrastructure for the global economy. The RMIT Hub described Australia as "having developed a crypto-friendly policy environment".

It submitted that Australia is in a unique position to take advantage of opportunities in blockchain technology for financial and other services.

Public hearing details: 11.10am – 1.10pm, Wednesday 17 October 2018, Committee Room 1R6, Parliament House, Canberra

11.10am: INPEX

11.50am: Commpete

12.30pm: RMIT Block Chain Innovation Hub

1.10pm: Finish

The hearing will be webcast live at aph.gov.au/live

ends

  • Created on .

Industry demand for skilled Bowen Basin coal workers

THE Queensland Resources Council said the strong demand for skills in the Bowen Basin resources sector would create new opportunities and job options for workers from the Hail Creek mine.

Glencore today announced a restructure of the Hail Creek open cut coal mine in Central Queensland. Glencore has said the total number of workers at the mine will decrease from 1360 to 930 by the time the changes are fully implemented in the second half of next year.

The changes include a reconfiguration of the mine from a two dragline operation to a truck and shovel operation.

“I understand this will be a difficult time for workers affected by the changes. But there is strong demand across Central and North Queensland for skilled workers in the resources sector,” QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

“Queensland-wide there are about 1250 vacancies in the resources sector, and more than 440 of those jobs are in the Mackay and Coalfields region. On top of that, there are more than 200 jobs up for grabs in the Rockhampton, Gladstone and wider Central Queensland region.

“Global demand continues to grow for the high quality coal from the Bowen Basin. It is the building block for industry around the world. The Federal Government’s chief economist predicts record export values this year and rising export volumes over the next financial year.

“Glencore’s announcement today is focussed on ensuring the ongoing viability of the Hail Creek mine. This will help sustain the project through the inevitable fluctuations in the commodity cycle.

“The Queensland coal industry has a strong future, and I expect its highly skilled and diverse workforce, including employees from the Hail Creek mine, will continue to be in demand across the sector.”

www.qrc.org.au

ends

  • Created on .