John Kearns > Mills Selig > Belfast, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

John Kearns

028 9044 5410 john.kearns@millsselig.com View profile View profile View profile

Work Department

Commercial; corporate; insolvency and restructuring; licensing; partnerships.

Position

Senior Partner

Career

John has an extensive corporate law and restructuring practice, acting in company receiverships, liquidations, voluntary arrangements and administrations.

Over his 25 years in this field John has been involved in landmark cases that are fundamental to Insolvency Law in the jurisdiction. He also advises major Northern Ireland banks in relation to enforcement procedures under various types of debentures and assists in the appointment of fixed-charge receivers as well as assisting individuals and businesses in relation to restructuring their liabilities with the financial institutions.

John also has a substantial corporate law practice which involves being lead lawyer for and advising numerous businesses throughout the province, including Galgorm Hotel Group, Homecare Independent Living, Canal Court Hotel Group and Golf Holdings Limited.

John, as company secretary and lead lawyer for FD Technologies PLC, a leading provider of software products and consulting services to some of the world’s largest finance, technology and energy institutions, has acted for the global company in a number of transactions across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

These include; the acquisition of Kx Systems inc, (for an aggregate consideration in excess of $100 million dollars); the restructuring of the various subsidiaries including the incorporation of subsidiary companies in Australia, Brazil and Mexico,  and the sale of their investments in Rx Data and Quantile technologies. John has also restructured the company`s banking arrangements by way of mezzanine finance arrangements with 6 separate banks throughout the world.

Landmarks

• acted in administration and pre-packed sale of a major local building company (safeguarding over 300 jobs)
• advised on numerous joint ventures, corporate finance transactions, acquisitions and MBOs/MBIs
• stands as Company Secretary of FD Technologies PLC. and Director of numerous subsidiary companies belonging to FD Technologies PLC, including MRP LLC, Kx systems inc and First Derivatives I limited
• assisted in the region’s largest property-based insolvency restructuring
• negotiated the execution of one of the largest trade agreements for traded shares in the province
• Advised MRP on the restructuring of their business in Latin America
• Restructured the Galgorm Hotel Group
• Negotiated two stock exchange block trade agreements with an aggregated consideration of over £87million

What they say:

“John Kearns is known for his expertise in Irish particularities of insolvency. He offers broader capabilities in corporate bankruptcy matters in addition to his personal insolvency expertise”

“John Kearns has rightly and deservedly earned his place in the Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for his extensive and highly regarded expertise and years of unwavering service”

Chambers and Partners / Legal 500

Memberships

Commercial Lawyers’ Group Northern Ireland; member of R3 Insolvency Specialist Group.

Education

Admitted as a solicitor in 1993; Mills Selig 1995.