Eric Carlson is a managing director at Burford Capital with responsibility for assessing and underwriting legal risk as part of Burford’s patent group and manages Burford’s patent investment pipeline. Mr Carlson is focused on working with law firms, companies and IP holders to assess legal claims and leverage legal finance. He has extensive experience in the legal finance industry, beginning at Chicago-based Gerchen Keller Capital in 2014, which was later acquired by Burford. Before moving into legal finance, Mr Carlson was a patent litigator at Katten Muchin and Jones Day. His work included matters relating to a wide range of technologies, such as computer software, computer hardware, semiconductors and smartphones. He also represented clients in copyright, trademark, contract dispute and other complex litigation matters. Mr Carlson graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law and has an undergraduate degree in computer science from the University of Illinois College of Engineering.