Firms To Watch: Insolvency and corporate recovery

Ledingham Chalmers LLP offers an insolvency team which has a strong focus on working with regional insolvency practitioners, as well as advising and litigating on behalf of liquidators, administrators and trustees.

Insolvency and corporate recovery in Scotland

Addleshaw Goddard

One of the most influential firms in the Scottish insolvency and restructuring market, and recently bolstered by the addition of Douglas Blyth from Dentons, Addleshaw Goddard regularly handles the most significant mandates across the gamut of areas spanning financial restructurings and formal insolvency, to distressed real estate and hostile insolvency court work. The team services a broad range of businesses from SMEs to large multinational organisations, with practice head Jamie McIntosh specialising in all aspects of insolvency, turnaround and corporate restructuring. The dual-qualified Tim Cooper heads up the contentious offering, while Addi Spiers leads the distressed real estate team and focuses on property finance projects, debt portfolio sales and acquisitions and management. Legal director Emma Widdowson acts for some of the UK’s top clearing banks and US funds, and managing associate Courtney Clelland is highly regarded.

Practice head(s):

Jamie McIntosh


Other key lawyers:

Tim Cooper; Addi Spiers; Emma Widdowson; Courtney Clelland; Douglas Blyth


Testimonials

‘Very responsive, commercial and adept on very technical issues; very good experience in areas relevant to R&I, and distress.’

‘Addi Spiers is very user-friendly, highly positive and has a can do attitude. She is highly responsive, experienced/astute, commercial and pragmatic – a very safe pair of hands.’

‘Jamie McIntosh is very experienced erudite, and user-friendly.’

‘One of the largest R&I teams in Scotland and involved in many of the more complex cases. They are able to draw on the full range of services to assist clients.’

‘On the transactional side, Jamie McIntosh is a good operator and very client focussed.’

‘Addleshaw Goddard is, quite simply, the largest and strongest restructuring team in a very strong Scottish legal market. Very client-focused and always deliver to the highest standard.’

‘Jamie McIntosh is someone you would always want on your side: very astute, very commercial, very good.’

‘The AG team have real strength in depth. They have one of the largest restructuring teams in the Scottish legal community and can also draw upon sector and specialists from other legal disciplines (property, employment, commercial, corporate etc).’

Key clients

Lloyds Banking Group


The Royal Bank Of Scotland / NatWest


Santander Bank


Clydesdale Bank PLC/ Virgin Money


HSBC


Barclays Bank plc


Interpath Limited


Cynergy Bank


Cable Capital Partners Limited


Scottish Enterprise


Work highlights


  • Acting for Interpath Limited as administrators of the Arjowiggins Group.
  • Acting for Breal Zeta as funder on the restructuing of Highland Spring Group.

Burness Paull LLP

'Arguably the best large independent firm in Scotland’, Burness Paull LLP provides exceptional depth and breadth of expertise, operating at the forefront of the market’s most significant restructurings and insolvencies. The senior ranks were considerably bolstered when both Allana Sweeney and Sophia Harrison were promoted to partner in August 2022, with Sweeney having considerable experience of law firm insolvencies and barrister Harrison playing a leading role in the firm’s largest insolvency disputes and cross-border schemes of arrangement. ‘Outstanding practitionerMichael Thomson leads the practice and is a go-to adviser on big-ticket UK-wide insolvencies, while Gary Moffat is a renowned insolvency litigation specialist in the Scottish market.

Practice head(s):

Michael Thomson


Other key lawyers:

Gary Moffat; Allana Sweeney; Sophia Harrison


Testimonials

‘The team are extremely capable and knowledgeable about their specialisms, building confidence that the matters they deal with will be properly handled.’

‘They all are extremely capable and approachable and happy to discuss matters to come to the correct course of action.’

‘Michael Thomson and Allana Sweeney have built a strong team that is very responsive. They are excellent lawyers able to manage complex transactions efficiently and deliver for clients. They are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Michael Thomson is very visible and hands-on. He is pragmatic and co-operative with all parties in order to get to the right solution on any assignment.’

‘Allana Sweeney is excellent and really knows her stuff. She can see the issues and is very collaborative in finding solutions.’

‘Led by partners , Michael Thomson and Allana Sweeney, this team is talented, hard working and genuinely focussed on the client. They deliver positive outcomes while retaining a positive attitude throughout what can often be stressful negotiations.’

‘Michael Thomson is bright and highly engaging. He really listens to what the clients want, never over complicates and delivers.

‘Allana Sweeney is an exceptional lawyer with a fantastic eye for detail and very strong on the technical side, but never loses sight of what the client needs.’

Key clients

WM Morrison Supermarkets


Macquarie Bank


The Insolvency Service


FRP


Interpath


Grant Thornton


Fedrigoni Group


Lossie Seafoods


CMS Enviro Systems Ltd


Bones Restaurant Group


Work highlights


  • Acted in advising Morrisons on its acquisition of the business and assets of McColl’s Retail Group (and various subsidiaries) by way of a pre-pack administration sale.
  • Acted for Interpath Ltd, as administrators of Newcastle Glassworks Limited, Newcastle Glassworks Management Limited and Bricks K5 Capital Ltd.
  • Acting for the Fedrigoni Group, the Milan-headquartered Italian paper manufacturing conglomerate, in relation to its purchase of certain assets out of the administration of the Arjowiggins Group UK.

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP leverages its international capability to handle the most sophisticated mandates in the UK restructuring and distressed loan trading markets, regularly advising a broad range of stakeholders including clearing banks, secured lenders, directors, asset-based lenders, distressed companies and investors. Team head Claire Massie brings over 25 years market experience, having recently handled a number of complex assignments in the telecoms, retail, hospitality and real estate sectors. Stacey Bairner is a crucial member of the team and regularly acts for distressed debt funds in acquiring and disposing of large multi-jurisdictional distressed loan portfolios. Legal director Natalie Colaluca specialises in restructurings for both corporates and lenders, and is active across key industries from construction and infrastructure to waste and recycling. Legal director Jennifer McCormick left the firm in October 2022 to join Ashurst.

Practice head(s):

Claire Massie


Other key lawyers:

Stacey Bairner; Natalie Colaluca


Testimonials

‘Claire Massie is excellent in supporting her clients; she makes herself available when required, and has an excellent grasp of the problems faced.’

‘They have strength in depth across their core teams, supplemented with real in-house SME support as and when needed.’

‘Claire Massie continues to be a very impressive operator.’

Key clients

Teneo


Interpath Limited t/a Interpath Advisory


FRP Advisory LLP


PricewaterhouseCooper LLP


HSBC Bank plc


French Duncan LLP


Ernst & Young LLP


Johnston Carmichael


Peterborough City Council


Work highlights


  • Advised FRP Advisory Trading Limited on the insolvency of Hillend View Limited
  • Advised The Royal Bank of Scotland plc in its capacity as a qualifying floating charge holder of Ocean Fleet Seafood Limited (the “Company”) and thereafter acted for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as joint administrators of the Company.
  • Advised Aareal Bank AG in its capacity as a qualifying floating charge holder of Aberdeen Retail 1 Limited and Aberdeen Retail 2 Limited(the “Companies”) and thereafter acted for Azets Holdings Limited as join administrators of the Companies.

Brodies LLP

Brodies LLP has established a reputable restructuring and insolvency practice, advising a broad range of notable clients spanning funders, insolvency practitioners, solicitor firms, corporate clients, and public sector and regulatory bodies. Lucy McCann leads the contentious offering and is regularly instructed on both corporate and personal insolvency matters; she is well versed in representing clients from the sheriff courts to the Supreme Court. Peter Kelly is the main figure on the non-contentious side, primarily advising funds in relation to the purchase of debt and securities, but also acting on workouts. Real estate specialist Elaine Petterson is a key figure, advising on Scots aspects of cross-border restructurings, while legal director Shirley Li-Ting has strong skills in a wide array of sectors including energy, leisure and retail. Jamie Nellany has developed a solid reputation, particularly focusing on the transactional aspects of distressed companies.

Practice head(s):

Lucy McCann; Peter Kelly


Other key lawyers:

Elaine Petterson; Shirley Li-Ting; Jamie Nellany


Testimonials

‘Brodies has an incredibly strong Scottish practice, and the restructuring team can call upon the specialisms throughout the wider practice as required. You always know that Brodies will help you find a solution and provide good advice.’

‘Lucy McCann is the head of restructuring. She is always available to discuss ongoing assignments, a very pleasant and capable operator. Strong in restructuring litigation work and quickly gets to the heart of the issue.

‘Jamie Nellany has a wide remit that includes corporate transactions as well as restructuring work. He brings strong inter-personal skills and is very reliable.’

‘On high-profile transactions run to a tight timetable, you would go to Jamie Nellany and trust him to get things done.’

‘Shirley Li-Ting is very experienced and is never phased by whatever challenge is provided.’

‘In-depth knowledge and experience of dealing with insolvency and restructuring scenarios across the whole team, great ability to react quickly to large, complex and contentious situations.’

‘Shirley Li-Ting is very proactive and commercial in a great number of restructuring scenarios.’

‘The partners and staff are knowledgeable in their fields and are available to discuss matters as they arise. As a full-service law firm, there is always someone on hand to assist with queries.’

Work highlights


Morton Fraser MacRoberts

A highly respected firm’, Morton Fraser MacRoberts’s insolvency and corporate recovery practice works closely with specialists in the firm’s restructuring, litigation, banking, property, employment, and asset-based lending teams. One of those leading the team is the ‘market-leadingYvonne Brady, highly respected across a number of key sectors including food and beverage, retail, energy, and property development. Practice co-head Alan Meek has considerable experience of acting for asset-based lenders, as well as strong corporate restructuring experience. Leading the contentious insolvency and volume recovery offering is Nicola Ross, who provides an extensive understanding of regulatory insolvency issues.

Practice head(s):

Alan Meek; Yvonne Brady


Other key lawyers:

Nicola Ross


Testimonials

‘Competent law firm who can be trusted with Scottish insolvency-related queries.’

‘Morton Fraser is a highly respected firm.’

‘Nicola Ross and Alan Meek are two stand out individuals. Completely trustworthy advice is always assured and clients can have complete confidence in the knowledge that they are in safe hands.’

Key clients

RSM


Interpath LLP (formerly KPMG LLP)


French Duncan LLP


FRP Advisory LLP


Quantuma Advisory


Anderson & Brown


Teneo


Leonard Curtis


Wylie & Bissett


Bibby Financial Services


Johnston Carmichael


BDO


Ashurst LLP


Work highlights


  • Acting on all aspects of the administration of Countesswells Development Limited – the owner and developer of a site of over 2500 units.
  • The Vegan Kind Limited (TVK)|Acting in the sale of The Vegan Kind Limited, an online vegan food business, and the subsequent administration.
  • Acting for the liquidators (Wylie Bisset) in the successful defence of £1m and breach of contract claim.

Shepherd and Wedderburn

With a long-standing strength in the energy sector, the restructuring and insolvency group at Shepherd and Wedderburn regularly handles highly complex and novel matters spanning restructurings, enforcements, workouts, bulk transfers, and contentious insolvency work. Leading the group and bringing over two decades of experience is Fiona McKerrell, who is highly sought after by stakeholders in relation to distressed counterparties, and advises insolvency practitioners across Scotland. Gillian Carty is the authority on all aspects of contentious insolvency matters, advising finance sector clients on litigation related to financially distressed customers and debt recovery.

Practice head(s):

Fiona McKerrell


Other key lawyers:

Gillian Carty


Testimonials

‘S&W’s team has different facets that come together to make it shine: the depth of insolvency experience, the knowledge of the market, and the strength of the wider firm.’

‘Fiona McKerrell is rare in giving both great commercial and technical advice. She is direct and gets things done.’

‘Depth in knowledge and experience across all restructuring matters with sector specific specialists available within the firm.’

Key clients

His Majesty’s Treasury


Interpath Limited t/a Interpath Advisory


FRP Advisory Limited


Ernst and Young LLP


BDO LLP


Alvarez & Marsal


Grant Thornton UK LLP


Manolete Partners Plc


Henderson Loggie


Leonard Curtis


Work highlights


  • Drafted the Scottish rules for a special administration regime for Payment and Electronic Money Institutions, acting for HMT.
  • Advised the joint liquidators of Spark Energy Supply Ltd (in liquidation) a former supplier of gas and electricity to circa 290,000 customers.
  • Advising a variety of institutional landlords of high street retailers and restaurant chains on the implications of tenant insolvency, particularly in relation to CVAs and administration.

BBM Solicitors

BBM Solicitors is a boutique law firm with a particularly strong reputation in acting for insolvency practitioners; it has been handling an increasing amount of cross-border insolvency litigation and has specialist expertise in the energy, hospitality, construction and technology sectors. Eric Baijal and Jennifer Simpson lead the offering, regularly advising clients on complex issues arising from liquidations, administrations, sequestrations and trust deeds, with a particular strength in cross-border matters.

Practice head(s):

Eric Baijal; Jennifer Simpson


Testimonials

‘Clients can always be confident that Eric Baijal, with his focus on insolvency law, will provide very good advice in a clear and practical manner.’

‘BBM solicitors are the go-to insolvency and litigation solicitors in the North East of Scotland.’

‘Eric Baijal has a sharp mind and keen interest in the law of insolvency.’

Key clients

FRP Advisory


Azets


Interpath Advisory


DMH Stallard


French Duncan


Johnston Carmichael


RSM


Isadore Goldman


Begbies Traynor


AABRS


Work highlights


Dentons

Utilising an extensive network throughout the UK, Dentons is known for handling complex cross-border transactions across all aspects of restructurings, turnarounds and formal insolvencies, as well as advising insolvency practitioners and directors on the purchase of distressed companies. The practice, which also has a strong reputation for insolvency disputes, is led by Derek McCombe, who has particular expertise in the retail sector and regularly acts for secured lenders and administrators on a plethora of insolvency matters. Senior associate Eoghann Green is well regarded for contentious insolvency matters, Douglas Blyth departed in November 2022 to join Addleshaw Goddard.

Practice head(s):

Derek McCombe


Other key lawyers:

Eoghann Green


Testimonials

‘Eoghann Green has a wealth of experience. He is great with clients and always has an eye on the client’s key objectives.’

‘The best law firm in Scotland in terms of how well their corporate and restructuring teams are integrated and work together.’

‘A global firm that can draw upon deep sector and international experience and skills.’

‘Derek McCombe shows a real hunger to identify opportunities and make introductions for his business contacts. One of the best-known lawyers in the retail sector.’

Key clients

HM Government


Interpath Advisory


Quiz plc


FRP Advisory LLP


CVR Global LLP


RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP


Henderson & Jones Limited


Grant Thornton


Purepay Retail Limited


Dunfermline Building Society


Zetland Capital Partners LLP


Manolete Partners plc


Equorium Property Company Limited


Work highlights


  • Act for the trustees in bankruptcy of Gregory King, the founder and former owner of the Heather Capital hedge fund. Mr King is suspected of having defrauded the corporate entities operated by him to the tune of more than £100m.
  • Instructed by the liquidators of McKernan Homes Limited relative to significant assets which have been transferred to a sister company prior to insolvency.

Gilson Gray

The insolvency and restructuring group at Gilson Gray is headed from Glasgow by Craig Darling, who utilises his corporate expertise to advise high-profile banking clients on a diverse range of insolvency issues. Former co-head Steven Jansch departed the firm in April 2023.

Practice head(s):

Craig Darling


Testimonials

‘Very knowledgeable.’

‘The team work well together and have a range of complementary strengths and abilities which they bring to the table to satisfactorily resolve client issues.’

‘They establish trust easily with their extensive knowledge and skill set and provide excellent support while demonstrating a high level of communication.

Key clients

Ajenta Limited


EH11 Limited


Ivanhoe Printing Company and Ivanhoe Caledonian Printing Company Limited


Raeburn Construction Services Limited


SKSi


Yooma Europe Limited


AAB


Armstrong Watson


Begbies Traynor


Henderson Loggie


Interpath Advisory


Middlebrooks Business Recovery and Advice


Work highlights


  • Acted for SKSi, liquidators of W.G. Walker (Ayr) Limited in responding to an unusual application for leave to bring proceedings against a company in liquidation.
  • Acted for Armstrong Watson, trustee on the sequestrated estate of Linda Bastable, in gratuitous alienation proceedings that had been commenced by the petitioning creditor.
  • Acted for Middlebrooks Business Recovery and Advice in a block transfer of over 100 liquidation appointments from their principal insolvency practitioner to a second appointment-taking insolvency practitioner who was joining the business.

Harper Macleod LLP

The practice at Harper Macleod LLP services clients across a broad range of key industries including retail, hospitality and tourism, with a strong track record in all aspects of restructuring and insolvency from administrations and liquidations to restructurings and refinances. Team head Gordon Hollerin has over three decades of experience representing major banks, directors, and financial institutions throughout the UK. James Lloyd also leads the practice and is renowned in the market for his specialist knowledge of personal insolvency issues.

Practice head(s):

Gordon Hollerin; James Lloyd


Testimonials

‘Unique insights to the public sector and a good geographical coverage.’

‘Gordon Hollerin is a long-established and highly regarded restructuring expert who quickly gains the trust and confidence of directors of distressed businesses, which is vital in situations where people are under pressure.

‘Gordon Hollerin’s manner is reassuring and supportive, and he is able to deliver technical matters simplistically to ensure the clients understand the position.’

‘Very good access to senior members of the team who have a very strong in-depth knowledge and great deal of experience of restructuring and insolvency scenarios.’

‘Gordon Hollerin has a huge amount of experience of dealing with contentious and complex scenarios, but is equally very approachable and responsive.’

‘Gordon Hollerin is well known within the insolvency profession and has a wealth of experience in insolvency matters to draw upon for giving practical advice and solutions.’

‘The team is responsive, hardworking, provides clear advice, and is pleasant to work with.’

‘Gordon Hollerin is good at keeping in touch, provides an excellent service, and introduces others in the firm with the requisite expertise for the various assignments.’

Key clients

Accountant in Bankruptcy


Speedcast Group


Interpath Advisory


Osborne Clarke LLP


FRP Advisory


David Urquhart (Travel) Limited


Johnston Carmichael LLP


Leonard Curtis Recovery


RSM Restructuring Advisory


SKSi Limited


Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Limited


Work highlights


  • Advised in relation to the global restructuring of the Speedcast Group, the world leading satellite technology business.
  • Advised FRP as administrators of Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Peacock Stores, two of the leading retail insolvencies in the Scottish market.
  • Sole legal services provider to the Accountant in Bankruptcy, the Scottish government office responsible for the administration of all bankruptcies in Scotland.

Shoosmiths

Drawing experience from lawyers within the firm’s well-regarded corporate, employment and litigation departments, Shoosmiths' restructuring and insolvency group regularly acts on behalf of major clients in the appointment of administrators, liquidators, and trustees in sequestration. Insolvency litigation expert Stuart Clubb has over two decades of experience and regularly represents practitioners in applications before the Sheriff Courts and Court of Session.

Practice head(s):

Stuart Clubb


Testimonials

‘Stuart Clubb leads the insolvency team in Scotland. He has a wealth of knowledge and is very well regarded in the sector. He speaks at the ICAS conference in Scotland every year and is on the panel of Lexis Nexis legal experts.

‘Stuart Clubb keeps abreast of changes in the law and regularly writes articles on issues arising in Scotland. The combination of his strong legal knowledge and familiarity with the market means he is excellent and identifies solutions for unusual problems when they arise.’

‘Stuart Clubb is very good at identifying his client’s objectives and then creating a strategy to achieve those. He has an excellent manner with clients and can explain difficult concepts to clients of all levels of knowledge.’

‘An excellent way of transferring knowledge and explanations to their clients.’

‘Stuart Clubb is not only knowledgeable, but is able to discuss the circumstances with the client in such a way as to make the whole process as manageable as possible. He is a complete credit to Shoosmiths and a go-to solicitor in Scotland.’

‘Shoosmiths’ team is friendly, approachable, and always willing to help. They take a commercial and pragmatic approach to their work, which is refreshing and effective.’

‘Stuart Clubb is an experienced commercial litigator and leads the dispute resolution team in Edinburgh. He is incredibly smart and always available to answer any questions or concerns that may arise.’

‘Stuart Clubb’s intellectual curiosity and willingness to go the extra mile is impressive and greatly appreciated.’

Key clients

Manolete Partners Plc


French Duncan


Grant Thornton


Middlebrooks


Azets


Interpath


Johnston Carmichael


Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP


Work highlights


  • Acting on behalf of a specialist insolvency claims acquisition company in the pursuit of a high-value unpaid director’s loan.
  • Successfully acting for a creditor in an opposed petition for an administrator order.
  • Acting on behalf of Administrators in the disposal of a property portfolio comprising a number of commercial properties and development land.

TLT

TLT specialises in high-quality non-contentious and advisory mid-market corporate restructuring and insolvency work, well known in the market for supporting clients in all aspects of restructuring from debt advisory and sales to insolvent restructurings and appointments. Legal director Ainslie Benzie leads the team, bringing a wealth of experience in advising on all aspects of turnaround and insolvency, and also overseeing the firm’s substantial growth in transactional restructuring work. Alan Munro is also a key contact, focusing on insolvency litigation and having particular expertise in unfair preference, misfeasance and guarantee claims.

Practice head(s):

Ainslie Benzie


Other key lawyers:

Alan Munro


Testimonials

‘The TLT team prove themselves to be proactive and flexible in ensuring the timely delivery of advice and input to ensure fully informed decisions can be made.’

‘The team is very responsive to any requests made and proactively bring in the other areas of the firm to ensure that the best advice and appropriate resource is applied to the case in hand.’

‘Ainslie Benzie is very flexible in her approach and able to deliver excellent service and advice often against very tight timescales in very challenging circumstances.’

‘Ainslie Benzie is brilliant to work with. She represents the administrators/liquidators well but with the commerciality that is often needed. She can see the big picture and what we’re trying to achieve but still mindful of the detail and the legal clauses required.’

‘Very experienced and commercial team where there is a huge amount of relevant insolvency and restructuring experience and where direct access to partners and senior members of the team is always available.’

‘Alan Munro and Ainslie Benzie both show an excellent understanding of insolvency and restructuring cases and react quickly and commercially to all aspects of the situations where advice is required.’

‘The restructuring and insolvency team is very focussed on delivering what is best for their clients.’

‘Alan Munro has a career-long interest in helping his clients and developing long-term working relationships. For many years, Alan Munro has been a go-to solicitor when it comes to personal insolvency, liquidations and court matters.’

Key clients

FRP Advisory


Leonard Curtis Recovery Limited


Interpath Ltd


Azets


BDO LLP


Work highlights


  • Acting for FRP Advisory Trading Limited, the joint administrators and liquidators, in respect to the insolvency of two group companies which own and operate hotels in Callander, Scotland.
  • Acting for Leonard Curtis Recovery Limited as administrators on an accelerated sale of the assets of McGill Facility Management Limited, a long-established high-profile contracting company, together with acting for the administrators on all post appointment advisory work required.
  • Instructed by the joint administrators of Multi Metals Limited (in administration) to provide post appointment advice to the administrators.

Aberdein Considine

Providing a wide range of insolvency and corporate recovery services to a diverse range of high-net-worth individuals, SMEs, and large corporations, Aberdein Considine has a strong reputation for pre- and post-appointment insolvency disputes. The team is headed from Edinburgh by Ross Webb, who specialises in insolvency litigation and represents clients in high-value matters before the Sheriff Courts and Court of Session.

Practice head(s):

Ross Webb


Testimonials

‘Aberdein Considine have substantial experience in dealing with often technical areas of law and with factually complex disputes.’

‘Ross Webb is impressive in his thoroughness in preparation and investigation, and with the speed at which the team move to head off potential technical problems raised by opponents.’

‘One of the great features is this firm’s ability to act in a joined-up manner across the disciplines.’

‘They offer a partner-led approach, which means the firm punches above its weight in a very competitive market.’

‘Ross Webb has great experience in claims against directors and is able to take a creative approach to finding where cash is in short supply in an insolvency case, as it often is.’

‘Good access directly to partners who are responsive and commercial.’

‘Ross Webb in Edinburgh is approachable, knowledgeable, pragmatic and commercial in his approach to situations.’

Key clients

KPMG LLP


Lombard PLC


Interpath


Grant Thornton UK LLP


Griffins


The Royal Bank of Scotland


Santander


Lloyds Banking Group


Begbies Traynor Central LLP


French Duncan LLP


Johnston Carmichael


RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP


Manolete Partners PLC


Moorfeild Advisory Limited


Middlebrooks


Meston Reid


GCG Shotblasting Services Limited


Shepherd Surveyors


Hardies LLP


Watershed (Scotland) Limited


FRP Advisory Group PLC


Work highlights


  • Advising directors of the company on an insolvency and restructuring strategy, formal appointment of administrators, followed by asset disposal.
  • Advising Grant Thornton UK LLP, as liquidators, on an application to the Court of Session to rectify a defective appointment before arranging for papers to be served in Tortola BVI and advising on other cross-border issues relating to company assets (including data) and liabilities.
  • Advising a consortium of 26 international investors who have each invested into student accommodation development in Aberdeen.

Anderson Strathern

Led by contentious specialist Katrina Lumsdaine , Anderson Strathern is best known for the contentious aspects of corporate insolvency and offer a solid team of ‘experts in their individual fields’. The practice is best known for the contentious aspects of corporate insolvency, handling a steady stream of litigation, distressed conveyancing sales and corporate acquisition work.

Practice head(s):

Katrina Lumsdaine


Testimonials

‘The team is very well rounded and experts in their individual fields, which means that there is always someone on hand to answer any queries.’

‘All the partners and staff are very approachable and knowledgeable.’

‘They are responsive to queries and happy to discuss matters.’

Key clients

HMRC


Accountant in Bankruptcy


Thompson Cooper Accountants


Begbies Traynor (Scotland) LLP


Johnston Carmichael LLP


RSM Tenon


Wylie & Bissett


FRP Advisory


Interpath (formerly KPMG)


Grainger Corporate Rescue and Recovery


Work highlights


  • Advising RSM Tenon, as liquidators of a company, on a very high-value damages claim against a bank in respect of its conduct prior to the insolvency.
  • Handling several litigations, as one of only two firms on the panel for the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB).
  • Acting for Johnstone Carmichael, as liquidators of a company, in securing the recovery of a director’s loan.

Blackadders LLP

Highly active on the contentious and non-contentious side, Blackadders LLP advises on the whole range of personal and corporate insolvency matters, encompassing administrations, citizenships, CVAs, sequestrations and trust deeds. Team head Ryan McKay is also focused on contentious work and has a growing reputation for representing individuals, such as company directors, affected by insolvency. Stephanie Carr departed for Thorntons Law LLP in May 2023.

Practice head(s):

Ryan McKay


Work highlights


BTO Solicitors LLP

BTO Solicitors LLP is sought after by large and SME corporates, as well as high-net-worth individuals to provide expertise on complex restructuring and insolvency matters and has recently strengthened its offering through the addition of Catriona MacLean from MBM Commercial in November 2022; she has a proven track record in advising directors on personal guarantee claims. Team head Angus Wood specialises in insolvency disputes, while co-head Alastair Dunn is adept in complex corporate restructurings.

Practice head(s):

Angus Wood; Alastair Dunn


Other key lawyers:

Catriona MacLean


Testimonials

‘BTO’s insolvency and corporate recovery practice is well known for its versatility and breadth of experience. It acts for individuals, insolvency practitioners, litigation funders, and large multi-national businesses.

‘The real strength of the team lies in their thoroughness in running litigations and advising on disputes in corporate and insolvency matters, which is borne of the sheer breadth of experience the team possesses.’

‘Angus Wood is a stand out partner within this team. He combines excellent technical knowledge of the law with a truly commercial and practical understanding of client’s needs.’

‘Angus Wood is very impressive, on top of the detail, and easy to work with.’

‘BTO are particularly strong in real estate, property, litigation and corporate transactions.’

‘They are one of the few Scottish independent practices who provide such a wide range of services to their clients.’

‘One of the best independent Scottish firms that punch above their weight.’

‘Angus Wood brings strong interpersonal skills and is highly knowledgeable in all aspects of litigation.’

Key clients

Lloyds Banking Group (Lloyds Bank plc and Bank of Scotland plc)


Interpath Advisory


Opus Restructuring & Insolvency


FRP Advisory


Hastings & Co


Begbies Traynor


Azets


Johnston Carmichael


Quantuma


French Duncan LLP


Work highlights


  • Advised Asertis Limited in the pursuit of two complex, high-value and high-profile gratuitous alienation claims arising from the administration of HGEC Capital Limited.
  • Advised ADM Agriculture in relation to complex and time sensitive applications in an administration to secure the release of over 3,000 tonnes of oil-seed rape.
  • Advising high-net-worth individuals in relation to multifaceted attempts to cease contract of a trading company, including the interaction of multiple different strands of proceedings, including defamation, s994 proceedings, liquidation and administration proceedings.