Mitch Sockett has the unique ability to analyze litigation through the risk/reward prism of an investor— combining his initial 18 years of experience as a law firm litigator with his 17+ years as a pure buy-side litigation analyst. Mitch’s special focus is on companies whose equity and/or credit are overly punished by market fears and misperceptions of the companies’ ultimate litigation liability, enabling investors who otherwise like the companies’ business and prospects to invest in their capital structures despite that litigation. Mitch has also helped investors focus on the opposite situation — when a company is exposed to material litigation risk that is under-the-radar, unappreciated and thus under-discounted by the market.

Mitch has advised managers, analysts and traders on the potential upside/downside of these significant litigations. He has conducted in-depth due diligence: analyzing all court filings, transcripts of court arguments and conferences, the background and leanings of trial and appellate judges, any special intangible qualities of the opposing attorneys, the often critical variance between juries in different jurisdictions hearing trials, the general range of prior settlements (especially in mass torts) and the often subtle dynamics at play in litigation affecting distressed and non-distressed companies. Mitch has also conducted due diligence on U.S. and European litigation funding opportunities and arbitration claims.

Mitch was a senior litigation analyst from 2001-2019 for King Street Capital Management, L.P., a global investment manager with $20 billion AUM. He was a sell-side litigation analyst from 2000-2001 at Amroc Investments, LLC, a distressed debt/equity brokerage firm.

Before entering the investment world, Mitch spent 18 years as a litigation attorney at various law firms, notably Skadden Arps Meagher & Flom in New York and Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright in Honolulu. He focused on hostile M&A, corporate, commercial, shareholder and tort litigation. Clients included Fortune 500 companies, Stena Corp., Goya Foods, the State of Israel and high-profile real estate and entertainment clients.

Mitch received his J.D. (cum laude) from Cornell Law School in 1982 and his B.A. (cum laude) from University of Pennsylvania in 1979.

He is admitted to practice in New York.