Legalist

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 across three separate strategies: litigation finance, bankruptcy financing, and government receivables lending.
The firm’s clients include institutional investors such as endowments, foundations, hospitals, insurance companies, and family offices.

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.
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.
In September 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that Legalist had raised and closed its second fund of $100 million.
In April 2020, AngelList named Legalist among the 52 best startups to watch out for.
In March 2021, Reuters reported that Legalist had raised $50 million for its first bankruptcy fund.
In August 2022, Legalist managed approximately $750 million across three distinct private credit strategies: litigation finance, bankruptcy financing, and government receivables lending.
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.