# Justin Leto

> Justin Leto is the co-founder and CEO of Miami-based Idea Financial and CEO of LevelEsq, a former Florida trial lawyer who turned firsthand experience with small-business cash flow and litigation costs into technology-enabled lending businesses. He and longtime business partner Larry Bassuk built Idea Financial from their law firm's conference room, made its first loan in 2018, and led the platform past $1 billion in originated funding before adding new corporate and asset-backed facilities in 2026.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Idea Financial; CEO at LevelEsq
- **Organizations:** Idea Financial, LevelEsq, Level Insurance, Leto | Bassuk, The Leto Law Firm
- **Education:** B.S. in Business, University of Arizona, J.D., University of Miami School of Law
- **Known for:** Co-founded Idea Financial and led it from a law-firm conference room to more than $1 billion in originated funding., Co-created litigation-cost protection for contingency lawyers through Level Insurance and extended the model into legal financing through LevelEsq., Closed institutional facilities including $70 million with Cross River Bank in 2019, $84 million with Synovus and Hudson Cove in 2021, a $20 million corporate term loan with EverBank in 2026, and a $175 million asset-backed facility announced in 2026.

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Began practicing law in Florida after earning his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.
- **2011** — Met fellow lawyer Larry Bassuk while their practices were on the same floor; their conversations led to a law-firm partnership and later ventures.
- **2016** — Co-founded Level Insurance to offer litigation-cost protection for contingency lawyers.
- **2017** — Co-founded Idea Financial in Miami; the team initially worked from the Leto | Bassuk conference room.
- **2018** — Idea Financial made its first loan in January.
- **2019** — Idea Financial closed a $70 million warehouse facility with Cross River Bank; by August it had funded $50 million to nearly 600 businesses.
- **2021** — Idea Financial closed an $84 million warehouse facility with Synovus Bank Specialty Finance and Hudson Cove Capital Management and expanded its legal-finance work through LevelEsq.
- **2022-2024** — Co-hosted the Trials & Tribulations series with Larry Bassuk, discussing law, finance, risk, partnership and business.
- **2025** — Idea Financial reported surpassing $1 billion in total funding originated since inception.
- **2026** — Idea Financial closed a $20 million corporate term loan with EverBank in January and later announced a $175 million asset-backed facility with MA Asset Management and Pinnacle Financial Partners.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Idea Financial and led it from a law-firm conference room to more than $1 billion in originated funding.
- Co-created litigation-cost protection for contingency lawyers through Level Insurance and extended the model into legal financing through LevelEsq.
- Closed institutional facilities including $70 million with Cross River Bank in 2019, $84 million with Synovus and Hudson Cove in 2021, a $20 million corporate term loan with EverBank in 2026, and a $175 million asset-backed facility announced in 2026.
- Built a career across trial law, insurance, small-business lending and legal finance.
- Co-hosted 19 published episodes of Trials & Tribulations between 2022 and 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — MA Asset Management announced a $175 million asset-backed facility supporting Idea Financial's growth in partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners; Idea Financial publicized the closing in May.
- **2026-01** — Idea Financial closed a $20 million corporate term loan with EverBank to expand small-business and legal lending.
- **2025-07** — Idea Financial reported that it had surpassed $1 billion in funding originated since inception.
- **2024-06** — Leto and Larry Bassuk published the nineteenth episode of Trials & Tribulations, focused on litigation insurance and financing.
- **2024-04** — Idea Financial highlighted Leto's comments to CBS MoneyWatch about handling credit-card debt in a high-rate economy.

## Links

- Website: https://www.ideafinancial.com/leadership/justin-leto
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincleto
- Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/ideafinancial
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideafinancial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideafinancial

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/justin-leto
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-26