Gerchen Keller Capital
Gerchen Keller Capital was a Chicago-based litigation finance firm founded in 2013 that funded high-value commercial litigation and arbitration for businesses and law firms. It was acquired by Burford Capital in 2016 and now operates as a subsidiary within Burford's multi-billion dollar legal finance platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gerchen Keller Capital does
Gerchen Keller Capital was a Chicago-based litigation finance firm founded in 2013, specializing in providing capital to fund the cost and risk of high-value commercial litigation and arbitration. Described as the largest investment and advisory firm focused exclusively on legal and regulatory risk, with $1.4B in assets and a team of 11-50 employees, the firm financed commercial legal disputes on an individually negotiated, case-by-case basis. Its business model centered on funding businesses and law firms engaged in complex commercial disputes, generating returns through the monetization of legal claims and litigation outcomes. The firm was among the earliest dedicated entrants in the legal finance industry, established as a specialized launch vehicle by founders including Travis Lenkner, who brought prior experience from Boeing and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Gerchen Keller Capital was acquired by Burford Capital in 2016 and no longer operates as an independent entity; its operations, team, and capabilities were integrated into Burford's multi-billion dollar legal finance platform. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Burford Capital (publicly listed on NYSE and LSE), Gerchen Keller Capital's deal flow and capabilities now contribute to Burford's broader portfolio spanning antitrust, asset recovery, bankruptcy, international arbitration, patent/IP, and securities litigation across the Americas, Asia, Australia, Continental Europe, the UK, and the Middle East.
Gerchen Keller Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gerchen Keller Capital
- Website
- https://gerchenkeller.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gerchen Keller Capital was a Chicago-based litigation finance firm founded in 2013 that funded high-value commercial litigation and arbitration for businesses and law firms. It was acquired by Burford Capital in 2016 and now operates as a subsidiary within Burford's multi-billion dollar legal finance platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gerchen Keller Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Litigation Finance
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Finance & Litigation/Claims Credit (FSAHAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Litigation / Claims & Bankruptcy-Related Trading (FSAHACAG), Specialty Finance / Structured Credit (FSANADAE)
Keywords
Where Gerchen Keller Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Gerchen Keller Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Gerchen Keller Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gerchen Keller Capital is an investment and advisory firm that provides financing for commercial litigation and arbitration matters, allowing clients to shift the cost and risk of high-value legal disputes. The firm focuses exclusively on legal and regulatory risk and invests capital on a case-by-case, negotiated basis across areas including general commercial litigation, international arbitration, antitrust, patent/IP, securities, and asset recovery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Gerchen Keller Capital
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Gerchen Keller Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gerchen Keller Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Gerchen Keller Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Certum Group: Specialist funder of mass tort and complex commercial litigation, competing for institutional-quality legal risk capital.
- Calunius Capital: London-based litigation funder focused on commercial disputes and arbitration; comparable in scale, mandate, and institutional client base.
- Longford Capital Management: US-based commercial litigation funder serving corporate plaintiffs and law firms, with a portfolio financing model directly comparable to Gerchen Keller's.
- Augusta Ventures: UK-based commercial litigation funder offering portfolio and single-case financing to businesses and law firms, directly overlapping Gerchen Keller's proposition.
- Burford Capital: The publicly listed parent and largest dedicated legal finance firm globally; Gerchen Keller operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary within Burford's multi-billion dollar portfolio.
- Omni Bridgeway: One of the largest publicly listed litigation funders globally, financing commercial litigation and arbitration across multiple jurisdictions — a direct competitor to Gerchen Keller's investment focus.
- Harbour Litigation Funding: Specialist third-party litigation funder providing single-case and portfolio financing for commercial disputes; directly comparable to Gerchen Keller's core funding activity.
- Therium Capital Management: Litigation and arbitration funder investing across commercial claims and class actions; comparable in offering scope and target client base to Gerchen Keller.
Emerging players
- LexShares: Litigation finance platform providing portfolio and single-case funding with a tech-enabled approach; an emerging participant in the same commercial legal funding niche.
Regional players
- Bench Walk Advisory: Boutique advisor and capital-raiser for litigation funders and law firms seeking portfolio financing; comparable as a specialist capital intermediary within the legal finance ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Gerchen Keller Capital social profiles
Digital presenceGerchen Keller Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gerchen Keller Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Gerchen Keller Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gerchen Keller Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gerchen Keller Capital
What does Gerchen Keller Capital do?
Gerchen Keller Capital is an investment and advisory firm that provides financing for commercial litigation and arbitration matters, allowing clients to shift the cost and risk of high-value legal disputes. The firm focuses exclusively on legal and regulatory risk and invests capital on a case-by-case, negotiated basis across areas including general commercial litigation, international arbitration, antitrust, patent/IP, securities, and asset recovery.
Is Gerchen Keller Capital a public or private company?
Gerchen Keller Capital is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Gerchen Keller Capital founded?
Gerchen Keller Capital was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gerchen Keller Capital based?
Gerchen Keller Capital is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Gerchen Keller Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Certum Group, Calunius Capital, Longford Capital Management, Augusta Ventures, Burford Capital, Omni Bridgeway, Harbour Litigation Funding and Therium Capital Management. LexShares is listed as an emerging player. Bench Walk Advisory is listed as a regional player.
Does Gerchen Keller Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gerchen Keller Capital.
What industry is Gerchen Keller Capital in?
Gerchen Keller Capital's product category is Litigation Finance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAHAGAL, Specialty Finance & Litigation/Claims Credit, with a secondary code of FSAHACAG, Litigation / Claims & Bankruptcy-Related Trading. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.