Restructuring and Insolvency Solicitors
Advising businesses in their most challenging times
Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Solicitors
Putting in place successful corporate restructuring and turnaround strategies relies on identifying areas of business stress and distress as early as possible.
In any situation when things take a turn for the worse, our corporate restructuring and insolvency team work closely and quickly with clients to assess options deliver the best possible commercial outcomes where possible. This can be a time of enormous uncertainty for businesses and so we ensure our insolvency solicitors offer clear and commercial advice keeping business goals and the future objectives of the business front of mind.
With a team of experts who are dedicated to client service, we can draw on expertise from across the firm to help our clients get back on track and instil confidence in their business going forward.
Our restructuring and insolvency lawyers can advise on:
- Restructuring options and insolvent companies
- Cash flow advice
- Refinance and signpost to recent government grants, bounce back loans, and CBILs
- Directors’ Duties
- Debt recovery
- Negotiating scaled back credit terms
- Workforce planning
- Cost control
- Advise on communication with key stakeholders: fellow directors, landlords or other creditors, customers and suppliers, or HMRC
Our restructuring and insolvency expertise
Our team are experienced and skilled business advisors, offering sector insight alongside corporate restructuring advice. The sooner we are brought into a situation to advise a business in distress the more options there are available - it is our role to unearth those opportunities for the business through creative thinking and proposing the right solutions to complex issues.
We’ve established a strong reputation as a leading restructuring and insolvency law firm, working with a broad range of clients including:
- Lenders
- Creditors including banks and investors and other stakeholders
- Insolvency practitioners and turnaround professionals, as well as
- Corporate clients and their boards
As a team, we have expertise in contentious and non-contentious regularly acting for insolvency practitioners and stakeholders advising on antecedent transactions and Director’s conduct.
Why choose Shakespeare Martineau?
Our team has extensive experience in producing commercially advantageous outcomes for businesses that are facing financial difficulties. In addition to our exceptional track record, there are plenty of other reasons to choose us when looking for restructuring and insolvency solicitors:
- We are business advisors first and foremost: we will seek to understand your organisation and the problems it may face. We will look at all areas of insolvency law and how it impacts your company
- We understand that each business is different, we bring real advice, empathy and experience to every situation
- Our team is ranked in this year's chamber results and Andrew Taylor, head of restructuring is a ranked lawyer in 2023
- Find out more about our experience and how we have helped businesses below.
Want to find out more or have further questions? Â Contact us today using the button below.
What our clients say
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Our corporate restructuring & insolvency experts
Our corporate restructuring case studies demonstrate the breadth of experience and the results we have achieved for clients
Travel company
Scenario:
We acted for a leading package holiday provider in a solvent reconstruction. The company had been formed through a leveraged buyout that had left the group with over £170 million of debt, including senior, mezzanine and PIK.
After difficult trading conditions in the industry the enterprise value of the group had reduced to the extent that only the senior debt had any value.The transaction involved dealing with minority shareholders, introducing new equity incentive arrangements for incoming management and dealing with the CAA, the industry regulator.
Outcome:
The junior debt providers agreed to swap their debt for equity instruments and the senior lenders restructured their facilities to allow the group to continue trading.
Hotel chainÂ
Scenario:
We acted for the owner of a substantial chain of hotels on a restructuring to preserve the good parts of the business. The company owed circa £275m to its senior lender with no prospect of repaying all the debt.
The annual interest bill exceeded EBITDA by over £1 million per annum. The group also needed to spend £1m pa on cap ex to preserve value in the hotels.
Outcome:
The bank agreed to reduce the debt to £110m in exchange for taking equity ownership in the book of good hotels and leaving a limited number of hotels with landlords who would not renegotiate leases.
This was structured as a highly complex arrangement including balance sheet reconstruction and a pre-pack administration of one of the group companies, thereby preserving the solvent companies in the group.
Manufacturing
Scenario:
We acted for a high street bank in connection with the restructuring of its financial facilities as part of a re-capitalisation of a manufacturing business in the West Midlands.
The re-capitalisation was put in place to restore the solvency of the group and to strengthen the balance sheet of the group. As part of the restructuring, the Bank accepted a haircut on its outstanding debt, extended its facilities and additional equity capital was introduced.
Outcome:
The restructuring successfully preserved the business and several thousand jobs.
Education
Scenario:
We worked with a leading, modern university in the acquisition of a smaller private education provider after it went into administration.
This was a large private provider of higher education with many thousands of students affected by the insolvency
This required us to deal with many complex issues over a very short time frame – regulatory, insolvency, employment, real estate and commercial.
Outcome:
We advised them on the successful transfer of students, property portfolio and IP through the provision of a transitional service agreement.
We helped ensure the successful and relatively seamless transition of these students.
Brewery
Scenario:
The team acted for two individuals as joint administrators of an independent taproom and microbrewery with premises in London specialising in craft ales.
We worked with the directors to secure the appointment of administrators on an urgent basis, given pressure from creditors including HM Revenue & Customs.
The team advised the administrators in relation to a pre-packaged sale of the business and assets, with ancillary property work, through an accelerated mergers and acquisitions process.
Outcome:
Our advice helped to preserve the trading status of a unique brewery, as well as the employment of key staff, and generated a settlement to secured creditors with a limited return also to unsecured creditors.
Care home
Scenario:
The team advised on the administration of some 37 care homes over 11 companies, which formed part of a larger group. The matter was extremely sensitive given the nature of the care home industry and the requirement for continuity plans and certainty of care.
The team liaised with stakeholders, the Care Quality Commission, to ensure that a proper structured plan was in place. We then went on to negotiate a series of operating agreements with new operators who would in due course replace the incumbents.
The team proceeded to prepare the necessary documents for an administration application on an urgent basis, with a view to securing appointment.
The team has also advised on regulatory issues, GDPR issues and TUPE issues given that there are around 2,000 people employed within the 37 care homes mentioned.
Outcome:
Transferred business of around 70% of care homes to other accredited providers and expect to do similar with the balance of the portfolio in the next few weeks ensuring continuity of care for residents.
Latest restructuring and insolvency news, guides and webinars
Catch up on the latest news, advice and webinars to help you navigate your business through
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How can we help?
Our expert lawyers are ready to help you with a wide range of legal services, use the search below or call us on: 0330 024 0333