McColl’s Retail Group is looking to secure a rescue deal to stave off a potential collapse, seeking counsel from long-term advisers at Travers Smith. The Lawyer understands that Travers Smith corporate partner Andrew Gillen is advising client McColl’s, along with restructuring partner Edward Smith. Today (6 May) it was announced that the company’s senior lenders […]
A recently-promoted partner from Kirkland & Ellis’ London office has taken on a new role in-house. Kai Zeng is now a counsel at Blantyre Capital, which specialises in investing in equity and debt special situations. Zeng is working in the investment team, though he will also act on legal matters as required by the business. […]
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has finalised the hire of a Baker McKenzie duo, who specialise on private credit and direct lending, as well as restructuring matters. The US firm has hired banking and finance partner Matt Smith and Bevis Metcalfe to its London office. They join in April. Smith has particular expertise in private credit […]
Magic circle firms are acting alongside the likes of Hogan Lovells and Watson Farley & Williams on the aftermath of Bulb Energy’s collapse. Bulb, the largest UK energy supplier that has wavered in the spectre of this year’s surging gas prices, is also the first to receive the “special administration” procedure. The company serves a […]
Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Reed Smith are lined up on IKEA’s £378m acquisition of Topshop’s former flagship store on Oxford Street. Ingka Investments, IKEA’s largest owner and operator, has agreed to purchase the sprawling property at 214 Oxford Street. The crowning jewel in Philip Green’s Arcadia empire, Topshop’s 100,000-sq ft-store was vacated in December last year. […]
Dechert has established a financial restructuring practice in Asia-Pacific, hiring a partner from Kirkland & Ellis to kickstart operations. The firm has hired Daniel Margulies in Hong Kong, who was promoted to partnership at Kirkland in 2017. Among his recent deals, he acted for Singapore commodities trader Noble Group in connection with a cross-border restructuring […]
The total amount being spent on matters related to Greensill Capital’s administration is starting to emerge, seven months after the company’s collapse. Details of the fees associated with the administration were disclosed in the most recent progress report from Grant Thornton. In it, it details how Allen & Overy (A&O) has racked up a £3.92m […]
A dispute concerning the future of Caffè Nero has ended in defeat for one of the coffee shop retailer’s landlords, who had been backed by the billionaire Issa Brothers to contest a company voluntary agreement (CVA). Wednesday’s judgment from Mr Justice Michael Green rejected a challenge from CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang on behalf of landlord […]
Stephenson Harwood has bolstered its London restructuring and insolvency team with the hire of a former magic circle partner. A non-contentious finance lawyer, Allen & Overy’s Tim Crocker has been working on complex debt restructurings and insolvencies for over two decades. He was made up to partner at the magic circle outfit in 2012, resigning over […]
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has recruited a team of seven associates from magic circle and US firms to support the growth of its new restructuring practice in London. The hires mean that the restructuring team now numbers 10 lawyers in the London office. In February, The Lawyer revealed that Simpson Thacher had hired two partners […]
Reed Smith is to bring in a new finance and restructuring partner, its first London lateral in months. The firm has taken on Kathleen Garrett, a senior partner at Irish firm Arthur Cox who will join Reed Smith’s financial industry group in London. Over thirty years, Garrett has built a practice specialising in finance and […]
Greenberg Traurig has added a new partner in the City with the hire of Latham & Watkins’ former global co-chair of restructuring and special situations. John Houghton joins Greenberg after 20 years at Latham, where he held senior roles including global co-chair of restructuring and special situations and European head of the practice. With an […]