#202 How Does Corporate Legal Finance Work with Jordan Licht, CFO, Burford Capital

#202 How Does Corporate Legal Finance Work? with Jordan Licht https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gxFduDodLzWwcUMKr0rpV?si=nKOiLbeOT1m-TXDZ1wf7Xw In this episode of the Grow CFO Show, host Kevin Appleby sits down with Jordan Licht, the CFO of Burford Capital, to discuss the fascinating world of legal fundraising and litigation finance. Jordan Licht’s career journey to becoming the CFO at Burford Capital is an interesting one. He transitioned from a 15-year background in investment banking and consulting to eventually taking on the CFO role, reconnecting with a former boss who had also joined Burford. This highlights the importance of maintaining professional networks and how serendipitous career paths can be. The core focus of the discussion centers around Burford Capital and the unique world of litigation finance. Jordan provides an overview of how Burford invests in commercial litigation cases, sharing in the risk and reward. He explains Burford’s thorough underwriting process, the challenges of estimating case durations, and the benefits their capital and expertise can provide to clients. The conversation also touches on Burford’s global presence, their approach to building a non-law firm culture, and the complexities of funding and managing the company’s own capital requirements. Beyond just traditional finance responsibilities, Jordan emphasizes the value of having diverse experience across sales, strategy, and operations. This broader understanding of the business, rather than just the finance function, has been crucial in his current role as CFO. Jordan discusses how this experience has helped him appreciate the symbiotic relationship between business operations and finance, and the dependencies that exist between the two. Key topics covered include: Jordan Licht’s career journey to becoming CFO at Burford Capital Jordan’s diverse experience beyond traditional finance roles Overview of Burford Capital and litigation finance Burford’s investment process and client engagement  Cash flow and fee structure in litigation finance Jordan’s role as CFO and building a non-law firm culture Burford’s global presence and client engagement Funding and capital management at Burford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yaJ0oH0uWU Links Jordan Licht on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps 0:0:12 – Introduction by Kevin Appleby 0:0:48 – Jordan Licht’s introduction and background 0:1:59 – Discussion on career networking and connections 0:2:34 – Jordan’s previous roles before Burford Capital 0:4:03 – The evolving role of a CFO 0:5:01 – Explanation of Burford Capital’s business model 0:7:07 – Litigation finance and its benefits 0:10:05 – Underwriting and investment process 0:11:58 – Win rates and case outcomes 0:14:14 – Example of a litigation finance process 0:16:49 – Financial and strategic benefits for companies 0:18:11 – Jordan’s role as CFO at Burford Capital 0:19:39 – Company culture and working with lawyers 0:21:55 – Building the right company culture 0:23:05 – Client engagement and partnerships 0:24:50 – Global presence and operations 0:25:35 – Size and structure of the finance team 0:26:45 – Burford’s investment portfolio and capital sourcing 0:28:37 – Closing remarks and appreciation Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net