Kristen Smith

Kristen Smith

Melbourne

Portfolio Manager - Australia and Senior Investment Manager

Kristen Smith is the Portfolio Manager – Australia and a Senior Investment Manager at Omni Bridgeway. She is responsible for overseeing the Australian investment portfolio, including funded matters and those under due diligence. Kristen plays a central role in supporting the Australian investment team and contributes to the development and execution of business strategy across the region.

With deep expertise in class actions and commercial disputes, Kristen is also responsible for sourcing, assessing, and managing new investment opportunities. Across her career, she has led numerous successfully resolved disputes and delivered over $100 million in recoveries for claimants. She has also developed innovative financing solutions to support law firms in achieving their strategic growth goals.

Kristen has assisted a broad range of claimants pursue their claims, including ASX-listed companies, SMEs, and private individuals. Her approach is personable, strategic, client-focused, and commercially minded, with a strong track record of resolving complex disputes.

Prior to joining Omni Bridgeway in 2015, Kristen worked in one of Australia’s top class action practices, and has experience in commercial litigation, insolvency litigation, and high-profile out-of-court resolution schemes involving major financial institutions.

She has also worked in Scotland with Dundas & Wilson (now CMS) and served as an Associate to Associate Justice Efthim of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Kristen serves as Vice President on the board of MESS Ltd, a not-for-profit arts organisation.

Kristen is recognised in Lawdragon’s Global 100 Leaders in Legal Finance (2023, 2024, 2025) Lexology Thought Leaders – Third Party Funding (2024) and Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Third Party Funding (2023, 2024, 2025).  She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne.

 
  • Class actions where to from here? Panel Chair. Commercial Law Association (CLA) - Beyond the trends: Charting the future of class actions seminar. 30 August 2024. Sydney, NSW.
  • The future of court approval and settlement administration/distribution (including the use of technology). The Future of Class Actions in Australia. The Association of Litigation Funders of Australia (ALFA).  27 October 2023.
  • New-to-In-House Round Table – Legal Counsel or Counsellor. Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). 29 November 2021.
  • Demystifying Dispute Financing - Litigation as an Asset. Presentation. CPA Australia. 22 September 2021. Webinar
  • Putting a price on privacy: The evolving legal landscape in Australia & beyond. Panel. Omni Bridgeway. 25 March 2021. Webinar
  • Issues for In-House Counsel. Holding Redlich. Panel. 11 November 2020. Webinar.
  • PFAS Contamination in Gippsland. Community Presentation. 4 October 2018. Gippsland, VIC. 
  • Corporate Funding Hypothetical. Minter Ellison. 9 March 2018. Melbourne, VIC. 
  • Litigation Funding for Insolvency Claims. KordaMentha. 6 October 2016. Melbourne, VIC.
  • Litigation Funding for Insolvency Professionals. S.V. Partners. 30 June 2016. Melbourne, VIC. 
  • Litigation Funding for Insolvency and Commercial Claims. PCI Partners. 9 June 2016. Melbourne, VIC.
  • Litigation Funding for Insolvency Professionals. Ferrier Hodgson. 27 April 2016. Melbourne, VIC. 
  • Litigation Funding for Insolvency and Commercial Claims. Cornwall Stoddart. 13 April 2016. Melbourne, VIC. 
  • Insolvency Litigation Funding. McGrath Nichol. 26 February 2016. Melbourne, VIC.
 
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