Eva Shang

Eva Shang
Born	Template:Birth year and age China
Occupation(s)	Attorney, entrepreneur, investor
Years active	2016–present
Known for	General partner and CEO of Legalist

Eva Shang (born March 1996) is an American attorney, entrepreneur, and investor who holds the roles of general partner and CEO at Legalist.

At just 20 years old, she established Legalist and guided the company through the S16 cohort of the Y Combinator accelerator. By 2025, Legalist was overseeing close to $1.5 billion in assets under management.

A former Harvard student who did not complete her degree, Shang earned a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2018.

Both Shang and Legalist have received coverage in prominent media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker, the Boston Globe, and the Financial Times, highlighting her pioneering influence in litigation finance and dedication to enhancing access to legal resources.

Early life and education

Shang relocated from China to the United States at age three and was raised in a Philadelphia suburb where her mother practiced as an actuary. Beginning at seven years old, she took on responsibilities like revising her mother’s resumes and assisting with the care of her younger sister, Melissa, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair. Together, they co-wrote the middle-grade book Mia Lee is Wheeling Through Middle School, which features a protagonist with a disability.

During her time at Harvard, Shang launched the Harvard Organization for Prison Education and Reform and provided tutoring services within Massachusetts correctional facilities. She also supported her sister’s campaign urging American Girl to create a doll representing children with disabilities. Melissa subsequently enrolled at Harvard as an undergraduate and became an advocate for disability rights.

At age 20, Shang and Legalist co-founder Christian Haigh departed Harvard to move to San Francisco, where they participated in Y Combinator’s startup accelerator program.

Career

While still undergraduates at Harvard, Shang and Haigh developed software designed to identify lucrative litigation opportunities. This technology eventually formed the foundation for Legalist’s litigation finance model after receiving strategic advice from mentors.

Legalist secured $10.25 million for its inaugural fund in 2017 and followed with a $100 million second fund in 2019. In 2022, the firm diversified by launching a government receivables financing strategy, which by early 2025 had extended over $100 million in bridge loans to government contractors awaiting federal reimbursements—financing that traditional banks frequently decline.

By 2025, Legalist’s assets under management reached around $1.5 billion.

Personal life

Shang resides in San Francisco alongside her husband, their three children, and their labradoodle named General Partner—a nod to a legal term commonly linked to hedge fund founders.