Fielding ‘hugely talented associates backed up by very well-respected partners’, Browne Jacobson LLP‘s restructuring and insolvency practice is led by Emma Taylor , a ‘bright, experienced and conscientious litigator’ with experience in all forms of insolvency procedure and practice. Associate and ‘exceptional talent’ Joe Price works closely with Taylor. The practice leverages support from senior associate Chloe Poskitt in cases involving insolvency in the education sector.
Insolvency and corporate recovery in East Midlands
Browne Jacobson LLP
Practice head(s):
Emma Taylor
Other key lawyers:
Chloe Poskitt; Joe Price
Testimonials
‘Very transparent in terms of billing. Hugely talented associates backed up by very well-respected partners’. Hugely reassuring. Honest. Straight.’
‘Joe Price – Joe is an exceptional talent. He acts instantly to protect his clients. The results we have had from Joe have been nothing short of astonishing.
‘This is a strong team with good depth of experience. I find them easy to work with. The solicitors there are up to speed with the current law. They provide a savvy and sensible approach to litigation and are easy to deal with. They use technology really well to manage files/correspondence/deadlines.’
‘I have worked a lot with Emma Taylor who is a bright, experienced and conscientious litigator. She has her ear to the ground on law and practical/commercial considerations. Her cases are extremely well prepared and thought out.’
‘Emma Taylor – stands her ground against the Magic Circle behemoths’
‘Browne Jacobson have a wealth of experience in this field. I would have no hesitation in recommending Browne Jacobson. It is also worth noting that the court had praised Browne Jacobson on more than one occasion for their professional approach and documentation.’
Key clients
Pure Gym Limited
Grant Thornton UK LLP
The Directors of Fruehauf Limited (in Administration)
FRP Advisory LLP
The Directors of Paperchase Products Limited
Interpath Advisory
Mazars LLP
Derbyshire County Council
Quantuma LLP
BM Advisory/ Moorfields Advisory Ltd
Antony Batty & Co
Work highlights
- Advised the company (in their position as a subtenant) following the proposal of a contested Part 26A Restructuring Plan by Virgin Active and others in order to achieve court mandated modifications to that Plan to avoid the illegal termination of various sub-tenancies.
- Advised the Joint Administrators of NMCN plc in connection with the company’s interests in two joint ventures and completed transactions to realise those interests for the benefit of creditors.
- Advised the majority of the Directors of the company on its insolvency options and obtained the appointment of administrators via a hostile court application in which entry into administration was opposed by the remaining director.
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
Based in Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP‘s Nottingham office, the ‘commercial and pragmatic‘ Mark Wood works alongside the larger Birmingham banking group on Midlands-wide restructuring assignments across a diverse range of sectors. Wood frequently acts for administrators and liquidators in pursuit of assets and the overall team is recommended for mandates in the retail, hospitality, energy and financial services sectors.
Practice head(s):
Mark Wood
Testimonials
‘I have always highly valued the commerciality and pragmatism of the team, and their ability to advise quickly in pressured situations.’
‘Mark Wood (partner) is someone who has always been great at advising on a timely basis and in pressured situations. He is both commercial and pragmatic.’
Key clients
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Interpath Advisory (formerly KPMG Restructuring)
Teneo Restructuring Limited (formerly Deloitte Restructuring)
FRP Advisory LLP
Quantuma LLP
Mazars LLP
Work highlights
- Advising the Trustees of Mazars LLP in the bankruptcy of two individuals on their continued involvement in the 2nd and 3rd largest bankruptcies in UK history.
- Acting for Quantuma LLP, the Administrators on pursuing assets of the business and various claims against requisite stakeholders for and on behalf of all creditors of the company estate.
Gateley Legal
Gateley Legal‘s East Midlands Nottingham and Leicester offices advise on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious insolvency matters, and continues to be involved on a number of big-ticket financial restructurings in the construction and support services sectors. The firm attracts instructions from leading insolvency practitioners, accountancy firms, turnaround specialists, banks and distressed companies. Chris Radford 
is a reputable practitioner across the Midlands and undertakes regional and national assignments in corporate insolvency, security enforcement, and financial and operational restructuring.
Practice head(s):
Chris Radford
Key clients
BDO LLP
Blakethwaite Limited t/a Blades Insolvency Services
Bridgewood Financial Solutions Limited
BTG Advisory LLP
FRP Advisory Trading Limited
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Interpath Limited t/a Interpath Advisory
Leonard Curtis Limited
PKF Smith Cooper Limited
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Quantuma Advisory Limited
Resolve Advisory Limited
RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP
Teneo Restructuring Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for No1 Lounges in connection with their Company Voluntary Arrangements and for the Supervisors of these Company Voluntary Arrangements.
- Acted for the Administrators of Orrmac Coatings Limited in relation to their appointment as Administrators and business and asset sales.
- Instructed by the Administrators and Liquidators to advise them in relation to all aspects of the Administrations and the Liquidation including business sales, asset sales, claims under construction contracts, novations of contracts, employee claims and other matters.
Howes Percival LLP
Howes Percival LLP‘s team is ‘diverse with a wealth of expertise‘ in all aspects of insolvency. Contentious work is a key area of strength; the practice successfully settled a claim acting for the liquidators of a company in which the directors utilised a series of tax avoidance schemes to deprive HMRC of more than £24m. Leicester’s Carl Mifflin continues to win complex high value investigative and transactional non-contentious insolvency work from insolvency practitioners. Katie Summers in Northampton specialises in antecedent claims and acting on high value bankruptcy claims for various insolvency practitioners.
Practice head(s):
Carl Mifflin
Other key lawyers:
Katie Summers
Testimonials
‘Team is commercial and pro-active. Very approachable, which make them easy to work with. Diverse and with a wealth of experience.’
‘I find Carl Mifflin helpful and approachable. He is easily accessible to give advice as needed and generally reacts to queries in a positive amenable way. He is very easy to work with.’
‘Without doubt, Katie Summers is the best insolvency solicitor I have the pleasure to work with. She gets to understand the issues and works alongside my team in strategy and fully understands the costs and risk issues surrounding insolvency litigation.’
‘We use the firm for insolvency related work, but also general corporate work. They are excellent, very knowledgeable in their sector and have a collection of individuals I trust to look after my interests. I am also often pleasantly surprised by the level of their fees which seem reasonable compared to their peers.’
‘Carl Mifflin is incredibly commercial and understanding of the insolvency legislation. I would not hesitate in using him on complex situations and have referred him into many situations.’
Key clients
Mazars
Grant Thornton
BDO
Begbies Traynor
RSM
FA Simms
PBC Business Recovery & Insolvency
Parker Getty
Bridge Newland
Bretts Business Recovery
R2 Advisory
Elwell Watchorn & Saxton
Quantuma
Griffins
ReSolve
Larking Gowen
Menzies Corporate Recovery
BRI Business and Recovery
FRP Advisory (Milton Keynes)
Work highlights
- Acted for Elwell Watchorn & Saxton, the administrators of Linkham Services Limited, a specialist insurance brokerage dealing primarily with travel insurance, whose business was decimated by COVID. We acted for the administrators in relation to their appointment and sale of the company’s business and assets for total consideration of £700,000.
- Acted for the liquidator of AFM (1932) Limited in pursuing complex claims against an off-shore (BVI) limited company. The claims were disputed by the respondents on various grounds at a contested hearing resulting in a widely-reported judgement being handed down in favour of the liquidator.
- Acted for the administrators of JTF Wholesale Limited, a large national wholesale business. Dealing with the appointment documentation for the administrators to be appointed by the charge-holder, reviewing and advising on the validity of the charge-holder’s security and acting on the sale of the company’s business and assets.
Actons
Actons enjoys a strong reputation for contentious insolvency work, and is developing its relationships with litigation funders, which complements the team’s diverse national client base. Its main figures, Nicky Calthrop-Owen, Annabel Whittaker and Victoria Dunstall each hold over 15 years’ experience in contentious and non-contentious personal and corporate insolvency matters, acting for insolvency practitioners, lenders, companies and individuals.
Practice head(s):
Annabel Whittaker
Other key lawyers:
Victoria Dunstall; Nicky Calthrop-Owen
Testimonials
‘Actons have an excellent team specialising in insolvency, there is always someone I can get in touch with when needed.’
‘I have worked with Annabel Whittaker and Victoria Dunstall on numerous occasions, both are friendly and easy to work with and I trust their expertise and judgement across all insolvency case types.’
‘Pragmatic and commercial approach. Willingness to take on less attractive cases.’
Key clients
RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP
CFS Restructuring LLP
FRP Advisory LLP
Payplan Partnership Limited / Payplan Bespoke Solutions Limited
Bates Weston LLP
PKF Smith Cooper
Bridgewood Financial Solutions Limited
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group
Work highlights
- Acting for a leading alternative finance provider, in relation to a development loan which was unpaid. The loan was secured and the team advised on the validity of the security and the available enforcement options.
- Successfully applying for and obtaining declarations that a company was properly placed into Members’ Voluntary Liquidation in 2010, and then properly placed into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation in 2014, so the client was validly appointed as liquidator of the company in 2014. The application involved producing evidence in relation to the procedure and facts of the company’s MVL and subsequent CVL.
- Acting for the client as the petitioning creditor who was faced with an application to annul an individual’s bankruptcy order on the grounds that the bankruptcy order should not have been made. The applicant alleged that the debt upon which the bankruptcy order was based was disputed.
Buckles Solicitors LLP
Buckles Solicitors LLP ‘breadth and quality of knowledge is second to none’ and offers services in contentious and non-contentious corporate and personal insolvency, as a result of its strategic appointment of litigator and practice head, Rachel McCahill, last year. The firm has an enviable portfolio of creditors, debtors, directors and insolvency practitioners, and specialises in commercial turnaround strategies, voluntary arrangements, and in contentious issues, such as misfeasance, breach of duty and antecedent transactions.
Practice head(s):
Rachel McCahill
Testimonials
‘The Team at Buckles are very experienced and are the go to firm for Insolvency & complicated disputes. The breadth and quality of knowledge at the firm is second to none locally.’
‘The individuals at Buckles are professional, commercial and always give straightforward clear advice.’
‘Rachel McCahill is pragmatic , quick thinking and doggesdly determined when dealing with matters. She has a commercail apprach and always seeks her clients best outcome.’
Geldards LLP
Geldards LLP‘s has ‘good depth of experience’ in corporate and personal insolvency, and stands out for its expertise in company director disqualification, receiverships, CVAs and matters at the intersection between property law and insolvency. Its specialist knowledge of cross-border bankruptcy tourism continues to attract instructions from German banks and creditors. Senior associate Ruth Thurland has ‘strong experience in insolvency litigation and a real big player in the East Midlands’. Head of dispute resolution, Nino Simone provides the group with contentious capabilities.
Practice head(s):
Nino Simone
Other key lawyers:
Ruth Thurland
Testimonials
‘Ruth Thurland is excellent to work with, bright, efficient and collaborative. An excellent lawyer’
‘This is a strong team with good depth of experience. I find them easy to work with. The solicitors there are up to speed with the current law. They provide a savvy and sensible approach to litigation and are easy to deal with. They use technology really well to manage files/correspondence/deadlines.’
‘Ruth Thurland – extremely bright and user friendly. Strong experience in insolvency litigation and a real big player in the East Midlands. I have experience of being instructed by her and as a solicitor on the other side of an ongoing case. Very professional.’
‘Ruth Thurland has led on a number of insolvency and corporate recovery assignments. Ruth exemplifies all of Geldards values; integrity, experience, friendly open approach and insightful advice.’
‘Ruth Thurland’s technical knowledge and her experience together with her communications being relevant, understandable and succinct ensures that we have the necessary information to be able to make informed decisions.’
‘Nino Simone is also a great asset and resource, available to lend his experience and advice to the insolvency and corporate recovery team when the need arises.’
Key clients
Smith Cooper
Blades Insolvency Services
Western Power Distribution
Bowmer & Kirkland
LM Insolvency & Advisory
Boots UK Limited
The Welsh Government
John Harlow Insolvency
Bridgewood Financial Solutions
Work highlights
- Advised the joint liquidators of Sports Drinks Limited in a claim regarding intellectual property which was transferred to an associated company at a significant undervalue shortly before the company went into liquidation.
- Advised Bowmer & Kirkland in relation to their acquisition of the business and assets of Robinsons Structures Limited from its administrators in a deal that saved 68 jobs.
- Advised Welsh Ministers and the Counsel General for Wales in relation to the compulsory liquidation of the company which operated the Baglan Bay power station and its associated private wire network which supplied electricity to a local industrial estate.
Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Shakespeare Martineau LLP‘s ‘approachable and hard-working’ team is a very good choice for in contentious insolvency work, and its expertise has led to an increased number of instructions involving businesses in the energy, healthcare and hospitality sectors. Sean Moran has a strong restructuring advisory practice and a good visibility in complex insolvency litigation.
Practice head(s):
Sean Moran
Testimonials
‘Always willing to take on any case, even when not the most financially rewarding. Sensible and commercial about fees.’
‘The team is approachable and hard-working always seeking to deliver the best result possible. Have known the firm for many years and have no hesitation in recommending due to quality of advice provided. Always very collaborative.’
‘I have known Sean Moran for many years. He is likeable and approachable. Always gives good sensible advice and is very reactionary. His commercial approach is also an attraction.’
‘Strong understanding of the healthcare sector and insolvency.’
Key clients
Interpath Advisory
FRP Advisory Trading
BDO
Mazars
RSM Restructuring UK
Kroll
Menzies
Smith Cooper
Leonard Curtis
Begbies Traynor
CBA Business Solutions Limited
Yerrill Murphy
Horsfields Limited
S P Ford & Co Limited
Teneo Restructuring Limited
Springfields Advisory
Work highlights
- Advised the directors of Turbine Efficiency Limited and Turbine Efficiency Group Limited in relation to the companies’ financial position and worked with the directors in dealing with an accelerated M&A process for the business.
- Advised the director of two associated energy suppliers facing financial difficulties following the rise in wholesale energy prices. This involved working with the director and Ofgem in relation to the removal of the suppliers’ statutory licences to operate followed by the appointment of administrators from Menzies.
- Advised the Administrators of MGHL in relation to the high value disposal of a number of hotels and plots of land with complex real estate and planning issues arising as well as negotiating the settlement of related commercial agreements with promoters and other parties as part of this process.
Nelsons Solicitors Limited
At Nelsons Solicitors Limited, Andy Rudkin applies his 15 years’ experience in contentious and non-contentious corporate, personal insolvency and restructuring matters, to support for local administrations, liquidations, bankruptcies, antecedent transactions, and misfeasance actions. In Derby, Kevin Modiri is the name to note for complex bankruptcies.
Practice head(s):
Andy Rudkin
Other key lawyers:
Kevin Modiri
Testimonials
‘Nelsons provide pragmatic and commercially aware legal advice. From our straightforward all the way through to our most complex and high value matters. Andy Rudkin approaches our cases diligently and is always responsive.’
‘Andy Rudkin is an individual with whom we have great rapport and trust with. Throughout our long-standing relationship, of over 10 years, we have benefited greatly from his valuable judgment and advice. Nothing is too much to ask, he goes over and above to secure the best outcome for us.’
Smith Partnership
‘Stand out‘ and ‘unflappable‘ Ruth Ball leads the insolvency department at Smith Partnership, where she leverages over 20 years’ worth of experience in contentious matters and bankruptcy litigation, and has carved out a specialism in cases involving a high level of investigative work in relation to antecedent proceedings against directors; she also assists shareholders, lenders, creditors, insolvency practitioners and directors in non-contentious matters.
Practice head(s):
Ruth Ball
Testimonials
‘The team has excellent technical skills and are very pragmatic and results-focused. Superb client service as well.’
‘Ruth Ball is a stand out lawyer. She has enormous experience and is unflappable. She works extremely hard and has a keen eye for the details and for achieving a pragmatic result.’
‘Having worked with the Insolvency and Corporate Recovery Team for a number of years, I would always be happy to recommend their services. Even when we have referred tricky and time-consuming matters to them, they have always been happy to help and take a commercial view on WIP and billings, which in insolvency litigation is always welcomed.’
Key clients
PKF Smith Cooper
FRP Advisory
Moore Stoke on Trent
Corporate Financial Solutions: Insolvency Practitioners
Work highlights
- Advised PKF Smith Cooper on the administration of Robinson Structures Limited, which resulted in a pre-pack sale to an unconnected third party saving 68 jobs.
- Assisted FRP Advisory in the collection of a large number of book debts on both Managed Serviced Offices Limited (in Administration) and DHR Business Solutions trading as iHUB (in Administration).
- Instructed by Moore Stoke on Trent in relation to a claim against a bankrupt and 3 family members in relation to a deed of trust transferring a property prior to the bankruptcy.