Lake Whillans

About us.

Focused Investment Strategies

in Uncorrelated Markets

our story

Founded in New York in 2013,

Lake Whillans is an insurance- and legal-focused investment firm.

The firm started as an early entrant in the then-nascent litigation finance industry — providing capital to companies involved in complex commercial disputes. Over time, our investment strategies expanded to include hedge-fund-style and insurance-related investments.‍​​‌‍‌​‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‍​‍​‌‍​​‍​​‌ ​‍​​‍​​‌​​‍‌​​‍​​‌​‌​​

Through unique sourcing and underwriting capabilities we work through complex environments to uncover asymmetric and uncorrelated investment opportunities.

Our Philosophy

and Approach

Lake Whillans’ namesake is a subglacial lake in Antarctica, where a scientist-led expedition discovered life flourishing a half-mile beneath the ice crust in total darkness. As investors, we similarly seek to unearth overlooked economic ecosystems.

We work with companies ranging in size from Global Fortune 500 companies to early-stage ventures, helping unlock legal asset value through off-balance-sheet financing and strategic expertise.

 

[Lake Whillans'] respected in-house team has significant trial experience and is able to work across a range of cases, including arbitrations and jurisdictions.

Chambers Review 2025

The team at Lake Whillans is smart and savvy about case dynamics and strategy.

Chambers Review 2025

Lake Whillans is creative and does a variety of types of deals.

Chambers Review 2025

Lake Whillans has flexibility. This includes close monitoring of the case and reasonable ways of dealing with unexpected circumstances when they arise.

Chambers Review 2025
Team

The leadership behind

Lake Whillans

01.
Boaz Weinstein
Co-Founder, Managing Director

Boaz is the co-founder of Lake Whillans and a Managing Director. Chambers USA has ranked Boaz among the top leaders in the litigation finance space, noting that 'his legal expertise and business sense is widely recognised' and that he is 'easy to work with,' 'thoughtful,' and 'a wise and trusted partner.'"

Boaz was previously a litigator at Cleary Gottlieb, where he represented financial institutions and major corporations in complex commercial litigations and arbitrations, and at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, where he represented investors in high-profile securities class actions. He has also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert P. Patterson, Jr. (S.D.N.Y.) and the Honorable Pamela B. Minzner, then Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Boaz holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School and a B.A. in economics from Harvard University.

02.
Lee Drucker
Co-Founder, Managing Director​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​​‍​​‍‌​‌​​​​​‍​​‌​‍‌​‌​​‍​‌‍‌​​‍​​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍​​​​‌‌​‍‌‌‍​‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌​​‍​​​​‌​‍‌​​‍‌‍​‌​‌‌‍​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‍​‌​​‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​​​‍​​​​​​‍​‍‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍​​‍​​‍​​‍‌‌‍​‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​​‍​​‍‌​‌​​​​​‍​​‌​‍‌​‌​​‍​‌‍‌​​‍​​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍​​​​‌‌​‍‌‌‍​‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌​​‍​​​​‌​‍‌​​‍‌‍​‌​‌‌‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‍​‌​​‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​​​‍​​​​​​‍​‍‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍​​‍​​‍​​‍‌‌‍​‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌‌

Lee is a co-founder of Lake Whillans and serves as a Managing Director. He has been named one of the leading figures in litigation finance by The American Lawyer magazine and has been quoted on litigation finance by numerous publications, including The Economist and The Wall Street Journal. Lee has also been named one of America’s 100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists. Prior to founding Lake Whillans, Lee was a Vice President at BlackRobe Capital Partners, one of the first U.S. based litigation funders. Lee’s experience in litigation finance stretches back to 2007, when he worked at Burford Advisors. Lee has a J.D. from New York University School of Law, an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business, and a B.S. in history and communication sciences from Northwestern University.

03.
Marla Decker
Managing Director

Chambers USA has ranked Marla among the top leaders in the litigation finance space, calling her "tremendously insightful," "practical and responsive," and "very good at identifying challenges and looking around corners".

Marla joined Lake Whillans in 2015 and is currently a Managing Director. Marla has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of America’s 100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists and has been profiled in Above the Law and featured in the Wall Street Journal on the subject of litigation finance. Prior to joining Lake Whillans, Marla was a litigator at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where she represented financial institutions and major corporations in complex commercial cross-border disputes and investigations. Prior to attending law school, Marla was a senior consultant at WinMill Software where she provided software development services to an array of companies. Marla has a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she served as an Articles Editor for the Cardozo Law Review, and a B.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University.

04.
Chris Hagale
Managing Director

Chris is a Managing Director at Lake Whillans. Chris serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, teaching a course on Litigation Finance. Chris has been featured in publications such as Crain’s, The American Lawyer, and Above the Law. Prior to joining Lake Whillans, Chris was a partner at Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP, where he represented clients in complex commercial litigations and arbitrations. He has served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jacques L. Wiener, Jr. (5th Cir.). Chris has a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as the Articles & Online Editor of the University of Chicago Law Review, and a B.A. in History from Yale University.