Legalist

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox company Legalist, Inc. is an American investment firm that specializes in alternative assets in the private credit industry. Currently, the firm manages approximately $1.5 billion<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> across three separate strategies: litigation finance, bankruptcy (debtor-in-possession or DIP) financing, and government receivables lending.

The firm’s clients include institutional investors such as endowments, foundations, hospitals, insurance companies, and family offices.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

History

The company was founded in 2016 by Harvard University undergraduates, Eva Shang and Christian Haigh, and was part of that year's Summer Y Combinator Demo Day.<ref name="bi">Template:Cite news</ref>

In November 2017, Forbes Magazine included Legalist's founders in its "30 Under 30" Law & Policy list and reported that Legalist had raised $10.25 million over the summer.<ref name="Forbes">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In September 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that Legalist had raised and closed its second fund of $100 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2020, AngelList named Legalist among the 52 best startups to watch out for.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2021, Reuters reported that Legalist had raised $50 million for its first bankruptcy fund.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2022, Legalist managed approximately $750 million across three distinct private credit strategies: litigation finance, bankruptcy financing, and government receivables lending.<ref name=":0" />

As of July 2025, Legalist manages approximately across $1.5 billion across its three strategies. This growth was driven by the company securing a new group of clients in the form of U.S. government contractors who recently lost support from the Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE).<ref name=":1" />