The 500 Club

The 500 Club is a series of informal networking events jointly hosted by ESA Risk, litigation funders Asertis and property audit and consultancy firm CAPA.

The invitation-only events are held throughout the year at locations across the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol and others.

We hold The 500 Club events to bring together like-minded professionals from the legal, insolvency, finance and property sectors (and more) for drinks, nibbles and, most importantly, good conversation. At the end of the evening, we pick up the tab.

The invite list is kept relatively small and the events are held in relaxed settings, so that it’s as easy as possible for attendees to chat and enjoy themselves.

Past venues for The 500 Club have included:

• Century Club, London – exclusive private members club hidden away behind a discreet door on Shaftsbury Avenue in Soho.
• The Cavern Club, Liverpool – historic music venue that launched The Beatles.
• Loki Wine Merchant & Tasting House, Birmingham – private guided wine tasting in Birmingham’s historic Great Western Arcade.
• Hotel Gotham, Manchester – glitzy, art-deco style hotel in the city centre.
• Sky Lounge, Leeds – panoramic views of the city from the top of Double Tree by Hilton Leeds City Centre.

Typically, you can expect to meet lawyers, insolvency practitioners, lenders and related professionals at The 500 Club events. We hand-pick invitees, so you’re guaranteed good conversation and genuine business networking opportunities.

If there’s one thing we know we’re good at, it’s bringing people together and getting them chatting. A smaller event means it’s easier for you to join conversations and we can assist with introductions.

The events also provide a great opportunity to meet members of the ESA Risk team, as they are regularly attended by:

• Mike Wright, CEO
• Liam Geoghegan, Client Services Director
• Elizabeth Wright, Operations Director
• Chloe Foster, Investigations
• Caitlin Duncan, Client Services Executive

2025 event schedule

We plan to run 22 events this year. London and Manchester events start at 5pm, all other events start at 4pm. Follow The 500 Club LinkedIn page for event updates.

Upcoming events in 2025

• 10^th April – Bristol – Le Vignoble
• 24^th April – London – Davy’s Bunghole Cellars
• 1^st May – Liverpool – Gino D’Acampo 360 Sky Bar
• 15^th May – Newcastle 
• ^4th June – Glasgow
• 5^th June – Edinburgh
• 12^th June – Manchester
• 19^th June – Nottingham*
• 26^th June – London 
• 10^th July – Leeds
• 11^th September – London
• 18^th September – Birmingham
• 25^th September – Norwich*
• 2^nd October – Liverpool
• 16^th October – London
• 29^th October – Southampton
• 30^th October – Bristol
• 6^th November – Leeds
• 13^th November – Manchester
• 20^th November – London

* New city for 2025.

Past events in 2025

• 13^th March – Leeds – Sky Lounge
• 6^th March –  Birmingham – Vagabond Wines
• 13^th February – London – Davy’s Bunghole Cellars – Read about the 13^th February London event.
• 6^th February – Manchester – North Westward Ho – Read about the 6^th February Manchester event.

Attend The 500 Club networking events

Want to join us at a future event? Email us with your details and where you’d be able to attend an event. We’re always happy to add new names to our invite list, and new locations to hold events. We often encourage attendees to invite a colleague or a guest, too.

We look forward to seeing you at a future event.