Overview
Ed Reilly is Counsel at McDonald Hopkins, working remotely from New York as part of the firm’s litigation finance and general corporate team. Over the course of his 30-year career, Ed has represented corporations and financial sponsors including prominent venture capital, mezzanine, private equity and hedge funds.
He has routinely acted as his clients’ de facto general counsel and advised them on a broad spectrum of issues ranging from the prosecution, defense and resolution of litigation and pre-litigation disputes to the structuring and closing of innovative financial transactions. During his tenure in private practice, which included serving as a corporate partner with several international law firms, including Goodwin Procter, Morgan Lewis & Bokius, and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & McRae, Ed enjoyed leadership roles including rotations as a managing partner of a growing regional office, a member of a firm-wide administrative committee and the head of a firm’s international private equity initiative.
In addition to his role at McDonald Hopkins, Ed is the founder and managing member of Themis Legal Capital, a commercial litigation finance business based in New York City. Since founding Themis Legal Capital in 2012, Ed has immersed himself in the claim based funding business. Themis has sourced, evaluated, structured and funded numerous commercial litigation finance transactions. Ed is a frequent author and speaker on litigation finance, with a focus on the technical aspects of executing litigation finance transactions and counseling on creative uses for litigation financing to facilitate transactions and support corporate business objectives.
Ed is admitted to the bar in New York, Connecticut and the District of Columbia. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Columbia University School of Law.
Credentials
Education
Columbia University School of Law
University of Notre Dame
Admissions – State
- New York
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
Professional & Civic
Professional Activities
Member; State Board of Directors, Hartford Chapter President, Connecticut Venture Group (1984-2007)
Trustee, Wayne Browne Institute, Salt Lake City, UT (1999-2007)
News & Insights
External News & Publications
“Monetizing and De-Risking a Portfolio of Contingent Fee Cases Using Claim Based Funding” published May 26, 2016 by Themis Management LLC
“Using Claim Based Funding to Reduce the ‘Cost’ in the General Counsel’s Office Cost Center” published February 25, 2016 by Themis Management LLC
“Unlock Value in Portfolio Companies with Claim Based Funding” published October 22, 2015 by Themis Management LLC
“Claim Based Funding – September 2015 Update,” published September 9, 2015 by Themis Management LLC
“Preserving Privilege in Claim Based Funding” published June 10, 2015 by Themis Management LLC
“Regulatory Considerations in Claim Based Funding,” published March 7, 2015 by Themis Management LLC
“Milestones: A Response,” published February 18, 2013 at www.litigationfundingcontract.com
“Claim Based Funding Goes Mainstream,” published February 20, 2013 by Themis Management LLC
“Funders as Lawyers: A Response,” published March 18, 2013 at www.litigationfundingcontract.com
“Claim Based Funding – The Financial and Risk Management Solution”, published April 3, 2013 by Themis Management LLC
“For Goldman And Morgan Stanley, Lots Of Unknowns” published in The Deal, January 21, 2010
“Private Equity Treading Cautiously” published by Thomson Reuters, July 5, 2009
“Carlyle Pays Fine, Settles with Cuomo” published in The Deal, May 15, 2009
“Bankruptcy Auctions: The New Buyout Market?” published May 15, 2009 in PEHub
“Portfolio Company Debt: A New Investment Focus,”published March 9, 2009 by Goodwin Procter
“Investors Claim New Tax Relief Measures Fall Short” published in The Deal, February 19, 2009
“Archway Creditors Sue Catterton” published in The Deal, January 27, 2009
“Drafting Tips to Avoid Price Adjustment in Equity Exit,” published November 2, 2006 by New York Law Journal
Events
Speaking Engagements
“Ethical and Secure Funding of Commercial Litigation” CLE program presented to various law firms in 2015 and 2016
“Surviving The Credit Crunch” Webcast sponsored by mergermarket, February 27, 2009
“Fundless Equity Sponsors – How A New Breed Of Investors & the Funds That Back Them Are Expanding “Their Share Of The Private Equity Market” Master Class sponsored by Capital Roundtable, September 19, 2007
“The Life Cycle Of A Buyout” Seminar sponsored by Goodwin Procter, November 1, 2006