An Australian litigation funder has acquired a Dutch firm to drive its European expansion.

IMF Bentham Limited will acquire all of Omni Bridgeway’s investment and business activities, leaving the firm with A$2.2bn in capital to fund international disputes and enforcement proceedings. The firm, which will operate under one name following a rebrand, will have 18 offices in 10 countries across the globe.

IMF Bentham began investing in disputes in Australia in the 1990s, while Omni Bridgeway was founded in the Netherlands in 1986, and focused on cross-border enforcement against sovereign governments.

Andrew Saker, managing director and CEO of IMF Bentham, said: ‘As one of continental Europe’s leading litigation funders, [Omni Bridgeway] offered unique advantages compared to other acquisition candidates.

‘Those factors, combined with a strong cultural fit, made clear that merging was the right choice at the right time for both companies.’

Raymond van Hulst, managing director at Omni Bridgeway, said: ‘We view the merger as a partnership of complementary strengths. Together, we have the global scale and local understanding needed for today’s complex multi-jurisdictional and domestic disputes.’

The two companies have partnered on several projects in the past.