Our Team

Patrick J. Dempsey is Certum’s Director of Commercial Litigation Strategy, with deep expertise in litigation finance and trial advocacy. He previously held senior roles at Burford Capital and Therium Capital Management, and practiced as a litigator at Proskauer and Hogan Lovells. A Lawdragon  Global Leader in Litigation Finance and Who’s Who Legal Thought Leader, Patrick earned his J.D. magna cum laude  and Order of the Coif  from Tulane Law School.

Tim Carney is an Associate Director at Certum Group, where he underwrites litigation finance opportunities across commercial cases, mass torts, and class actions. He also helps lead the firm’s artificial intelligence initiatives, supports transaction structuring and negotiations, and advises clients on valuing litigation assets. Tim began his career as a commercial litigator with Norton Rose Fulbright and holds a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and a B.S.B.A. in Economics from the University of Florida.

Asim M. Badaruzzaman is the Chief Executive Officer of Certum Legal Solutions, where he leads cross-functional teams that deliver innovative legal support services to law firms, litigation funders, and legal marketing platforms.

Nancy is responsible for financial analysis, special projects, and investment monitoring and reporting across all investments, with an emphasis on mass tort and single-event investment strategies. Nancy is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management, and brings more than two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and project management to her role.

David Diamond is a Managing Director at Certum Group, where he drives strategic direction and business operations across the firm. An investor and entrepreneur, he brings over 20 years of leadership experience in financial services, tech, healthcare, and manufacturing. A graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, David also serves on the boards of several domestic and international companies.

Joel Fineberg is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Certum Group, where he leads the firm’s strategy and innovation across litigation finance, litigation insurance, and legal consulting. With more than 35 years at the intersection of law and financial risk management, he pioneered Class Action Settlement Insurance (CASI), the first post-lawsuit settlement insurance product in the industry. Drawing on his background as both a litigator and innovator, Joel has helped corporations, insurers, and counsel transform litigation risk into manageable business outcomes, positioning Certum Group as a leader in this evolving field.

Steven Hubina is a Director at Certum Group, where he works on litigation funding modeling, acquisition due diligence, integrations, and investment analysis. He previously held senior finance roles at Rizing, Castleton Commodities International, AQR Capital, and American Express, and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Dean Gresham is Managing Director at Certum Group, where he chairs the Investment Committee and leads legal underwriting and strategic initiatives. A former trial lawyer with over 20 years of experience in complex litigation, he has been recognized as Elite Trial Lawyer of the Year by The National Law Journal, a Global 100 Leader in Litigation Finance by Lawdragon, and consistently as a SuperLawyer and among the Best Lawyers in America.

William C. Marra is a Director at Certum Group, where he leads the firm’s litigation finance strategy and is recognized by Lawdragon  as a global leader in the field. A former U.S. Supreme Court clerk and Bain & Company consultant, he has practiced appellate and commercial litigation and now teaches litigation finance at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Will earned his B.A. and J.D., both magna cum laude, from Harvard and is a published author in top law journals including Vanderbilt, Southern California,  and Penn.

Tyler Perry is a Legal Director at Certum Group, where he sources and evaluates litigation finance opportunities for top lawyers and claimholders. A former federal appellate clerk, he combines defense-side experience from Simpson Thacher and plaintiff-side experience from Reid Collins & Tsai to identify high-value claims and create bespoke solutions for access to justice. Tyler was named a Global 100 Leader in Litigation Finance  by Lawdragon  in 2024 and 2025, is an honors graduate of Northwestern Law where he served on the Northwestern Law Review, and has been recognized by Best Lawyers  as “One to Watch.”

Steven Schienvar is a Managing Director at Certum Group, where he leads strategy, underwriting, and carrier and broker relationships. With over 30 years in the insurance industry-including senior roles at AIG such as President of AIG Re and COO of Risk Finance-he brings deep expertise across actuarial, underwriting, and risk management disciplines. Steven holds a B.S. in Physics from Stevens Institute of Technology and specializes in designing bespoke insurance solutions for complex litigation risks.

Kirstine Rogers is a Legal Director at Certum Group, where she underwrites litigation risk transfer solutions, including financing, asset recovery, and contingent risk insurance opportunities. With nearly 20 years of experience as a trial lawyer, boutique firm partner, and federal law clerk, she brings a comprehensive, courtroom-informed perspective to risk evaluation. A graduate of SMU and the University of Texas School of Law, Kirstine has been recognized by Lawdragon, Best Lawyers in America,   D Magazine, and Best Lawyers Women in the Law, and actively promotes diversity in litigation finance.

Chris Seidl is a Director at Certum Group, where he leads their IP finance strategy, including licensing, litigation funding, and acquisitions. With nearly 25 years of experience, he has a proven track record of monetizing intellectual property (IP) rights. Prior to Certum, he was a Managing Director at Fortress Investment Group and a successful IP litigator in private practice for 21 years at Robins Kaplan LLP, where a patent trial win was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has been nationally recognized as an IP “trailblazer” and a “magician” in monetizing patent portfolios.

Kevin Skrzysowski is a Director at Certum Group, where he operates in the firm’s litigation finance, insurance, and consulting verticals. With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of law and business, he helps clients design tailored litigation risk transfer solutions. Kevin is also the host of Alternative Litigation Strategies and a frequent contributor to leading legal publications.

David serves as the Group Controller for Certum Group, overseeing the company’s accounting and finance operations. He manages the full accounting cycle, maintains financial systems, prepares financial statements, and delivers management reporting to support strategic planning.

Ross Weiner is a Legal Director at Certum Group, where he focuses on underwriting both insurance and litigation finance risks.  Since joining Certum Group in 2018, he has helped businesses procure tens of millions in insurance coverage while also helping oversee certain commercial litigation investments.  He previously served as a litigation associate and then partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in New York, where he worked on cases on both sides of the “v”. Ross graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Colgate University and earned his J.D., Order of the Coif and with high honors from the George Washington University Law School, where he served on the Law Review. Ross was recognized as a New York Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2015 to 2018.