Kristen Smith
MelbournePortfolio Manager - Australia & New Zealand and Senior Investment Manager
Kristen Smith is Portfolio Manager – Australia & New Zealand and a Senior Investment Manager at Omni Bridgeway. She oversees the company’s litigation finance portfolio across both countries, managing funded matters as well as opportunities under due diligence. In addition to leading the ANZ Investment Management team, Kristen plays a key role in shaping and executing business strategy across the region.
With deep expertise in class actions and complex commercial disputes, Kristen is responsible for sourcing, assessing, and managing new investments. Over her career, she has resolved numerous high-value disputes and delivered more than $100 million in recoveries for claimants. She has also pioneered innovative financing solutions that enable law firms to pursue growth and strategic objectives.
Kristen has supported a diverse range of claimants—including ASX-listed companies, SMEs, and individuals—with an approach that is strategic, client-focused, and commercially driven.
Prior to joining Omni Bridgeway in 2015, Kristen worked in one of Australia’s leading class action practices and gained extensive experience in commercial litigation, insolvency disputes, and major out-of-court resolution schemes involving financial institutions. Earlier in her career, she worked in Scotland with Dundas & Wilson (now CMS) and served as Associate to Associate Justice Efthim of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
She is recognised internationally in Chambers and Partners (2025), Lawdragon’s Global 100 Leaders in Legal Finance (2023–2025), Lexology Thought Leaders – Third Party Funding (2024 - 2025), and Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Third Party Funding (2023–2025).
Beyond her investment work, Kristen is Vice President of the board of MESS Ltd, a not-for-profit arts organisation that preserves, curates, and provides public access to one of the world’s largest collections of rare and vintage synthesizers and electronic instruments.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne.
- Co-Author. Litigation: Six steps to success – Law Institute of Victoria Journal – 1 Oct 2020
- Co-Author. Costs budgeting: controlling the costs of litigation. The Australian Corporate Lawyer, Volume 29, Issue 1 – Autumn 2019
- Contributor. IMF Bentham’s Response to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s inquiry into class action proceedings and third-party litigation funders. August 2018.
- Author. What your small to medium sized business needs to know about litigation funding. IMF Bentham Blog. 3 October 2017.
- Author. The benefits of sharing your business litigation risk. IMF Bentham Blog. 3 February 2017.
- Author. At what stage should you involve a litigation funder? IMF Bentham Blog. 15 December 2016.
- 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.
