Isadore Goldman > London, England > Firm Profile

Isadore Goldman
Suite 203, 2nd Floor
70 Gracechurch Street
LONDON
EC3V 0HR
England

Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency Tier 8

Well connected in the industry and committed to clients’ interests’, boutique bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring firm Isadore Goldman provides an ‘extremely practical and commercial approach’ to a range of clients including accountants, lenders and referrers. Kevin Mitchell has an ‘encyclopedic knowledge and provides pragmatic advice’ to a loyal roster of IPs, including on complex insolvency disputes involving alleged fraudulent behaviour. Andy Taylor co-heads the team alongside Mitchell and is noted for his expertise advising company directors, including in how to deal with officeholder claims.

Practice head(s):

Kevin Mitchell; Andy Taylor

Other key lawyers:

Nick Oliver; Craig Parrett; Thomas Bond; Sian Leonard; Laura Hook

Testimonials

‘The firm has an extremely practical and commercial approach.’

‘A genuinely specialist insolvency firm which keeps right up-to-date and has a wealth of experience among its practitioners.’

‘Highly experienced partner led teams. Well connected in the industry. Committed to clients’ interests.’

‘Craig Parrett is highly responsive, reliable and gets straight to the point.’

‘Kevin Mitchell has an encyclopedic knowledge and provides pragmatic advice.’

‘Kevin Mitchell – Dedicated to his clients; always thinking one step ahead.’

 

Key clients

BDO

Menzies

Aviva Quantuma

Leonard Curtis

RSM

R2 Advisory

MFW Insolvency and Corporate Recovery

McTear Williams and Wood

SKSI

Begbies Traynor

Moorfields

Richard Long & Co

Compass Financial Recovery & Insolvency

Marshall Peters

Kreston Reeves

Path Business Recovery

Manolete Partners plc

Moore Kingston Smith Springfields

Opus

Augusta Kent

CMB Partners

Mazars

Larking Gowen

Ensors

CVR Global LLP

Investec Bank PLC/Investec Asset Finance PLC

Portland Business and Finance Solutions

Griffins

Grant Thornton

Interpath Advisory

Parker Andrews

Purnells

Hudson Weir

Hereford Capita

Work highlights

  • Acting for Marco Elser in his successful challenge to the approval of the Voluntary Arrangement of Rory McCarthy, the case giving rise to a number of novel issues and a judgment clarifying the law in relation to challenges of this kind.
  • Advising Opus LLP as administrators of Petropavlovsk Plc, a company affected by Russian sanctions.
  • Advised a group comprising the majority of investors in a failed development project known as Infinity Developments Liverpool.

Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Isadore Goldman, which has a key hub in Norwich, is a specialist insolvency firm that handles disputes, restructuring advisory work and litigation. The firm has a national client base that includes major IPs such as Ensors and McTear Williams & Wood. The team is described as being ‘extremely friendly, with excellent technical knowledge’. Associate director Sian Leonard and associate Jenna Ansell, who manages day-to-day instructions under the firm’s contract with Aviva, are highly recommended. Leonard advised an IP on a £1.5m CVA and complex agreements with creditors. Former practice heads Adam McCaw and Frank Brumby have left the firm.

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is extremely friendly, with excellent technical knowledge.’

‘Sian Leonard is a pleasure to work with. In addition to her excellent client skills and technical knowledge, she gives matters her full attention.’

‘Isadore Goldman is a specialist team of dynamic individuals whose combined experience and expertise in insolvency is unmatched. They are the best in their field.’

‘Isadore Goldman are a firm specialising in insolvency and commercial matters. The team has extensive and wide-ranging knowledge of insolvency, which gives clients confidence in their advice.’

‘Many individuals at Isadore Goldman have considerable experience in insolvency law and the advice they give is extremely thorough. In particular I would have no hesitation in recommending Sian Leonard and Adam McCaw as professional and commercial solicitors.’

‘Jenna Ansell and Adam McCaw are both excellent members of Isadore Goldman’s East Anglia team. Adam has a superb attention-to-detail and commercial sense. Jenna has a breadth of knowledge but provides a very useful property dimension both for standalone property practice and as an important addition to the firm’s insolvency offering.’

‘Of all of the insolvency firms I have worked with the members of Isadore Goldman have the best depth and breadth of industry knowledge and legal knowledge. This is invaluable in allowing for an accurate early assessment of a potential case as well as strong input in terms of strategic approach to how the matter is going to be resolved.’

Key clients

Aviva

McTear Williams & Wood

Fleximize Capital Limited

Price Bailey LLP

Ensors

SFP Resturcturing Limited

Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP

RSM

Parker Andrews Ltd

FRP Advisory

Work highlights

  • Advising an Insolvency Practitioner client and pursuing a director on behalf of a liquidator in relation to a large misfeasance claim for the value of £5m based on a group intercompany debt. The group intercompany debt follows a large restructuring of the company.
  • Advised an Insolvency Practitioner client on the intricacies of a large £1.5m Company Voluntary Agreement.

Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Insolvency boutique Isadore Goldman is a ‘tour de force‘, housing a ‘technically excellent‘ team, which often acts for insolvency practitioners and businesses experiencing financial difficulty, and focuses on representing directors facing claims brought by insolvency practitioners. The ‘excellentNick Oliver heads up the Portsmouth-based group and, as a ‘serious and heavyweight litigator‘, handles both corporate and personal insolvency disputes and fraud-related matters. Stephen Ryde-Weller has broad expertise spanning the sale and purchase of distressed businesses, and business reorganisations.

Practice head(s):

Nick Oliver

Other key lawyers:

David Oliver; Stephen Ryde-Weller; Magdalena Wegrzyn

Testimonials

‘Nick Oliver is bright, approachable and knows the law. A safe pair of hands. He is a serious and heavyweight litigator, and good judge of tactics and technical points. Nick is exceptional, very bright, great insolvency knowledge, very commercial with excellent industry connections.’

‘Isadore Goldman has the best depth and breadth of industry and legal knowledge. They are an absolute tour de force of a regional firm. All members of the team are able to deal with complex and high-value cases competently and efficiently. There is no snobbery or hierarchy: from paralegal to partner, everyone knows the detail of the facts and the law.’

‘Nick Oliver is a stalwart of the industry, with excellent client service and comprehensive legal expertise.’

‘Magdalena Wegrzyn is a rising star, taking on work beyond her PQE level with aplomb.’

‘Nick Oliver is an excellent solicitor and effectively manages client concerns. He is a safe pair of hands and wholly dependable. In dealing with difficult matters he is first class at finding effective solutions and managing stakeholders. I highlight rate Nick and his technical ability in his field.’

‘Nick Oliver and his team are technically excellent. They are hard working, approachable and work well with clients, often in the most difficult situations.’

‘Nick Oliver is outstanding. He gets to the heart of the issue swiftly, is responsive and has excellent client skills. I would happily recommend him.’

Key clients

Azets

Begbies Traynor

BDO

Grant Thornton

Griffins

Investec Asset Finance PLC

Hereford Capital

Mazars

Merchant Finance London Limited t/a mycashline

McTear, Williams & Wood

Leonard Curtis Portland

Purnells

Quantuma

RSM

Spotcap

Work highlights

  • Advised a bank on exposure to a large manufacturing business in financial distress, including an assessment of the bank’s position, and the rescue and restructuring plan proposed by the company and the bank’s options.
  • Acted for a group of investors in the failed £250m Infinity development project in Liverpool to successfully oppose an application by administrators to sell the development site under Paragraph 71 of Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Real estate > Commercial property: Norwich

Isadores has a niche commercial practice, being particularly focused on insolvency. Practice head Robert Pyke has broad expertise in residential and commercial development work to handle the property aspects of insolvency cases. The 'exceptional' Pyke and senior associate Lauren Toynton are the key lawyers providing support to the firm’s corporate and insolvency teams, and Pyke recently assisted Grant Thornton LLP as trustee in the sale of residential properties and industrial units, as well as dealing with the Crown Estate in respect of a property owned by a management company that was dissolved.

Practice head(s):

Robert Pyke

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Approachability, very good communication and always available. You are made to feel as though you are this firm’s only client which is something to be proud of.’

‘Robert Pyke is exceptional. He is always available and quite a rarity in the current world with solicitors in that he takes a proactive view and will advise on solutions rather than just presenting issues. Due to his experience he has exceptional knowledge and is a key asset to us in trying to get deals over the line.’

‘Robert Pyke, shockingly prompt and concise commercial advice.’

‘Second to none response rate and commercial service.’

Key clients

Fairfax and Favor Limited

New Buckenham Property Limited

Jadelink UK Limited

Norfolk Racing Holdings Limited

Norfolk Homes Limited

Agile Property Partners Limited

RSLC Developments Limited

T Blanchflower Carpentry Limited

Handelsbanken Plc

Grant Thornton

J O Sims Holdings Limited

Purnells Insolvency Practitioners

DFB Project Ltd

Scott Residential Ltd

Blanchard Fields Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising Fairfax and Favor Limited on two occupational leases for their latest two retail stores (Marlow and Stow-on-the-Wold).
  • Advising Norfolk Homes Limited, a multi-site developer based in North Norfolk in respect of the set up of the next phase of their development site at Trowse, Norwich, Norfolk including dealing with infrastructure documentation and plot sale contract pack set up.
  • Advising Blanchard Fields Limited on the disposal of plots at their residential development site at Blanchard Fields, Isle of Wight.

The firm: Isadore Goldman is a specialist, boutique insolvency and restructuring practice. It is one of the leading UK law firms in this sector. The firm’s model is about a true hands-on, high-quality service led by experienced senior lawyers, rather than the traditional large firm offering where most work is delegated down to juniors.

With offices based in London, Norwich and Portsmouth the firm caters to a clientele across the UK and around the world.

Our insolvency and restructuring lawyers are considered experts in their field and are consistently recognised in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. They have built up many years of experience in advising a wide range of clients in relation to all forms of insolvency and restructuring procedures and related disputes. Our lawyers are expected and encouraged to be creative problem solvers and to work in a manner that maintains a hard-won reputation as an exceptional, outcome-focused law firm.

Principal areas of work
Businesses and individuals in need of assistance: Isadore Goldman has extensive experience in advising on and arranging rescue options for companies and individuals in financial distress. This work includes restructuring, administration, company voluntary arrangements and individual voluntary arrangements. The firm’s wealth of knowledge in this area has seen it advise on some of the largest and most complex administrations and voluntary arrangements in the UK.

Bankruptcy and personal insolvency: Isadore Goldman are specialists with a very long pedigree of providing bankruptcy and personal insolvency advice, including to a number of high-profile clients. The firm is well versed on the duties and restrictions relating to bankruptcy, alternatives to bankruptcy, the issues affecting partners and spouses of bankrupts and on related issues such as annulment.

Lender and creditor services: Isadore Goldman acts for a number of lenders and financial institutions, as well a range of corporate clients, assisting them with insolvency issues affecting their customers and clients. The firm provides a bespoke service including preparation and review of security documents and liaising with insolvency practitioners. The firm is also regularly instructed to advise on and execute debt and asset recovery strategies that are commercially and financially tailored to the needs of the client.

Insolvency practitioners: Isadore Goldman has a long standing and strong reputation for its work with insolvency practitioners, the firm acts for accountants and insolvency practitioner firms across the UK, from ‘big 4’ firms though to sole practitioners. Working with insolvency practitioners is a core part of Isadore Goldman’s business. Therefore, when instructing Isadore Goldman, you will work with genuine insolvency specialists. The firm is synonymous with the view that “if it is difficult, novel or innovative, give it to Isadore Goldman.”

Insolvency disputes and litigation: Isadore Goldman has a real expertise in, and a national reputation for, undertaking insolvency disputes and litigation work, including bankruptcy, claims against directors, property, construction, complex fraud claims and technical court applications under the Insolvency Act. The firm’s reputation in this area is well illustrated by regular referrals from other firms of solicitors without insolvency/restructuring expertise, and from insolvency practitioners. Isadore Goldman regularly represents both claimants and defendants throughout the UK.

Director disqualification: The firm has decades of experience in this area and the team handling this work includes a formal panel member of the Government’s Insolvency Service. The firm’s understanding of the director disqualification process and strategies adopted by the Insolvency Service enables it to provide the highest quality advice in this area.

Claims against directors: As part of the firm’s insolvency disputes and litigation work, it handles the defence of a variety of claims against directors, typically brought by liquidators or lenders. The firm provides comprehensive strategic advice and can handle all aspects of such claims. Team members have been involved in a number of high-profile successful defences including claims for breaches of duty and wrongful trading.

Cross border and international: Isadore Goldman are well versed in assisting and advising clients in other jurisdictions on the intricate challenges of multi-jurisdictional insolvencies posed by today’s global economy. The firm has vast experience in assisting creditors, shareholders, lender, and insolvency practitioners in other jurisdictions with UK based corporate insolvencies. The firm is also also used to UK based clients where there is a foreign insolvency element, often through it’s INSOL International contacts.

Clients

  • Banks and financial institutions
  • National and multi-national companies
  • Company directors
  • Individuals
  • Insolvency practitioners
Department Name Email Telephone
Insolvency & Restructuring Nick Oliver noliver@isadoregoldman.com 0207 353 1000 / 02392 292533
Insolvency & Restructuring Kevin Mitchell kmitchell@isadoregoldman.com 0207 353 1000
Photo Name Position Profile
Sian Leonard photo Sian Leonard Associate
Directors : 8
Other lawyers : 10
English
INSOL - International Association of Restructuring
INSOL EUROPE
The Insolvency Lawyers Association
R3