The first document a funder sees shapes the speed and quality of everything that follows. A good overview answers the questions an underwriter will ask in the first meeting, without waiving privilege or disclosing strategy.
Include
- Parties and forum. Full names of the claimant and defendants, the court or arbitral institution, and the governing law.
- Stage. Pre-filing, pleadings, discovery, expert phase, trial, appeal or enforcement, with key dates.
- The claim in brief. Two or three paragraphs describing what happened, drawn from facts that are or will be public.
- Damages basis. The category of loss and the method used to estimate it, with a range rather than a single figure.
- Counsel. The firm and lead lawyers, and the current fee arrangement.
- Capital need. The budget to resolution, what has been spent, and what the capital would pay for.
- Defendant profile. What is known about the defendant's assets, insurance and financial condition.
Leave out
- Counsel's assessment of the probability of success
- Internal memoranda, draft pleadings and settlement communications
- Personal data about individuals beyond what is necessary to identify parties
Why it matters
Funders review many more matters than they finance. A clear overview allows a prompt and informed answer on fit. When a matter moves forward, privileged material can be shared under an NDA or common-interest agreement, where protection is strongest.
This article is general information, not legal or investment advice.