Ayse Yazir

Global Head of Origination at Bench Walk Advisors (UK)

Speaker

Ayse Yazır joined Bench Walk Advisors in 2018 and is Global Head of Origination, based in London.

She has an outstanding reputation in the litigation funding industry, where she originates, underwrites, and monitors funding in various litigation sectors including international and commercial arbitration, insolvency, class actions and global litigation matters as well as law firm and corporate portfolio arrangements and defense funding. Prior to joining Bench Walk Advisors, Ayse worked as a Technical Manager in Arthur J Gallagher’s dispute resolution team where she worked with international law firms and litigation funders around the world to deliver funding and insurance solutions. She has seven years senior technical underwriting experience with a global funder based in London, where she reviewed over 400 cases a year.

Ayse has been instrumental in drafting rules on third-party funding for both UNCITRAL and ICSID and is currently working at CIArb’s TPF drafting committee. Ayse has been recognised as a ‘Thought Leader: Third-Party Funding’ by Who’s Who Legal for four consecutive years, ranked in Chambers & Partners both in the UK and Europe, Legal500 named as the industry leader, named as one of the top 10 Most Influential Litigation Funders by Business Today and ranked by Lawdragon as the leading funder. Ayse won ‘Leading Dispute Resolution Expert’ at the Lawyer Monthly Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and won the “Litigation Funder of the Year” award at Finance Monthly Awards 2021 and 2023. She regularly speaks at key industry conferences, including GAR, Legal 500 GC Summit, IBA and EFILA Annual Conference. She has been named a “Woman Leader in the Legal Industry” (2022) by Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar magazines and again in 2023 as a “Role Model in Law” by Vogue. Ayse was chosen as the “Person of the Week” by Green.Org and was the finalist for “Women Leader of 2022” by the Women in Law and Diversity Awards. Ayse was again nominated for this category in 2023.

Ayse was instrumental in founding Istanbul Arbitration Week, which attracted over 1,200 attendees in only its second year. She has published various articles on litigation funding and teaches funding at leading global universities such as Georgetown, Queen Mary, Paris Bar Association and Stockholm University. Ayse is the General Editor of Chambers & Partners Litigation Funding publication and sits on the Advisory Board for the Thought Leader’s Funding Circle Group.

Ayse was awarded the Turkish National State Scholarship to study Turkish Law at Başkent University, where she won various academic prizes and graduated third in her year group. She studied English Law at Nottingham Law School where she graduated with distinction and she holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and is a Chartered Insurer.