WHERE THE SCIENCE OF LAW & FINANCE MEETS ART
May 1, 2026 — Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Litigation
Finance Conference 2026

BY LITFIN501C FOUNDATION

Shaping the Future of Litigation Finance

Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
Venue
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Time
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM CT
Reserve Your Seat
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Proudly Co-Hosted By
Investment Management Club (E&W)
Northwestern University · Kellogg School of Management
About the Conference

Where Law, Finance, and Innovation Converge

The Chicago Litigation Finance Conference brings together the industry's most influential voices — academic scholars, funders, investors, judges, attorneys, and policy advocates — for an unprecedented day of insight and dialogue at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

This fully non-profit, student-run event is organized by students from Northwestern University and University of Chicago. CLE credits would be available for panelists and attendees.*

14
Expert Panels
2
Conference Tracks
1
Full Day
CLE*
Credits Available
“

Those who will shape the future of legal finance must understand the forces transforming it today.

Chicago Litigation Finance Conference 2026
Conference Program**

14 Panels. Two Tracks.
One Defining Day.

Explore the critical dimensions of litigation finance across market strategy, regulation, technology, and investment.

1
A Snapshot of Today's World Economy: Perspectives from Macro, Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Secondary Markets
2
Antitrust & Complex Litigation: High-Stakes Disputes and the Role of Third-Party Funding
3
Beyond Funding: Current Landscape and Future Trends of Legal Assets Investment and MSOs
4
Capital in Crisis: Litigation Funding in Bankruptcy and Post-Confirmation Disputes
5
From the Bench: Judicial Gatekeeping in Third-Party Funded Litigation
6
Global Playbook: Cash Flow Structures, Balance Sheet Models, and Cross-Border Enforcement
7
Patent to Payout: IP Monetization Through Third-Party Capital
8
Private Credit Meets Legal Risk: Asset-Backed Lending and Law Firm Finance
9
Rules of the Game: Disclosure, Regulation, and the Political Future of Legal Funding
10
The Matchmakers: How Advisors and Intermediaries Shape Deal Flow and Pricing
11
The Research Frontier: What Scholars Are Finding About Litigation Finance
12
The Risk Transfer Layer: Litigation Insurance, Judgment Preservation, and Portfolio Protection
13
The Secondary Market: Liquidity, Continuation Funds, and Price Discovery in Legal Assets
14
When Code Meets Claims: AI, LegalTech, and the Next Generation of Funded Litigation
Remark & Dialogue
Dean of Northwestern
Pritzker School of Law

Come and meet with Zachary Clopton, Dean of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, who will give his warmest welcome to nationwide guests to visit Chicago at its finest time.

Zachary Clopton
Dean, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Craig C. Martin
“
Fireside Chat
Chairman, Americas of
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Curious about what the next moves of a leading Am Law firm are? Come and meet with Craig C. Martin, Chairman, Americas of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and hear his journey of practicing law, opening the firm's Chicago office, leading a giant and prestigious global law firm, and his views on the impact of AI to the legal industry.

Craig C. Martin
Chairman, Americas — Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Co-Host Welcome
Dean of Kellogg
School of Management

Meet with Francesca Cornelli, Dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and the Donald P. Jacobs Chair of Finance, whose scholarship spans private equity, corporate governance, and IPOs — and who extends Kellogg's warmest welcome to the guests of this year's Conference.

Francesca Cornelli
Dean, Kellogg School of Management · Northwestern University
Timur Pakay
“
Special Welcome
Where Law, Business,
and Public Health Meet

Meet with Timur Pakay, whose career uniquely spans law, business, and public health. Currently Director of the SHARP Program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Timur previously served as Director of the Reuben Mark Initiative and the J.D./M.B.A. Programs at Columbia Law School — a rare vantage point from which to consider how character, leadership, and institutional trust bridge the worlds of law, finance, and the broader public good.

Timur Pakay
Director, SHARP Program · Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Formerly Director, Reuben Mark Initiative & J.D./M.B.A. Programs · Columbia Law School
Our Speakers

Industry Leaders Across
Law, Finance, and Policy

Event Details

Museum of Contemporary Art

  • Address 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
  • Date Friday, May 1, 2026
  • Time 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Central Time
  • Catering Breakfast, lunch, and light reception provided
  • Format Two concurrent tracks across two conference rooms
  • CLE* Credits would be available for panelists and attendees

Panelists include academic scholars, advisors, economists, funders, investors, judges, litigation attorneys, and policy advocates.

Why Attend

Six Reasons This Conference
Is Built for You

A once-a-year gathering designed for impact, substance, and lasting connections.

01
The entire industry — one room, one day.
This conference brings together policymakers, academic scholars, litigation funders, deal advisors, insurance providers, market liquidation providers, Am Law 100 attorneys, legal tech innovators, and Fortune 500 general counsels — the leading players across every link in the legal finance value chain — for a day of candid, high-level conversation you simply cannot replicate through separate meetings.
02
Tackle the hard questions head-on.
The panels go beyond surface-level overviews. Expect rigorous discussion of the industry's most challenging issues and emerging opportunities — from regulatory headwinds and disclosure debates to new asset classes and cross-border structures — with a focus on finding practical, win-win strategies that move the field forward.
03
Shape the future of the industry together.
Legal finance is at an inflection point. This gathering is designed to unify voices across the ecosystem — funders, lawyers, academics, regulators, and technologists — to build consensus, establish best practices, and advance the responsible integration and development of the industry as a force for good.
04
Earn CLE credits from the people who are defining the field.
Every panel is built for substance. The content is pragmatic, current, and delivered by practitioners and scholars who are actively shaping legal finance law, policy, and practice. Walk away with actionable insights and continuing legal education credit.
05
Build relationships that last.
The best deals, collaborations, and ideas start with a conversation over coffee or a handshake at the reception. The conference is structured to maximize networking time so you leave with new connections — and new friends.
06
Experience Chicago at its finest.
The conference is held at one of Chicago's premier museum venues. Take a private tour of world-class exhibits, then step outside into the city's legendary summer — lakefront views, architecture, and dining that make the trip worthwhile even before the first panel begins.
Note from the Organizer
I am proud and grateful.
Welcome to the Magic City.
Welcome to the Chicago Litigation Finance Conference.****
Charles Zuo
JD/MBA Candidate, Class of 2026
Northwestern University
On behalf of the Conference Prep Team
Join Us

Shape the Future of
Litigation Finance.

Secure your place at the most comprehensive litigation finance gathering of 2026. Registration is limited.

Register Now Become a Sponsor
Organized & Co-Hosted By***
LitFin501c Foundation
Northwestern University
Kellogg School of Management
Investment Management Club (E&W)
Only Official Domain & Website
LITFIN501C.COM
*CLE credit approval is currently in progress. The conference anticipates offering CLE credits upon approval.
**Panels are listed alphabetically. The sequence and framing of panels may be subject to change.
***Co-hosting arrangements with select bar associations are currently under discussion. A finalized list of co-hosting organizations will be announced in due course.
****Given the participation of 60 panelists, the organizer decides to name the event as a conference.