Mr Tom Bannister > Akin Gump LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Co-headed by James Roome and ‘doyen of the bankruptcy market’ Barry Russell , the ‘well-established and experienced‘ team at Akin Gump LLP contains a slew of ‘exceptional creditor-side lawyers’, many of whom have advised on some of the most significant cross-border restructurings in the market. Bondholder work is the team’s forte and in this regard it is ‘particularly skilled in looking after the interests of insurance companies and private placement holders’. A core overarching sector strength of the firm as whole, energy-related instructions continue to account for a significant proportion of work for the restructuring group – particularly in light of the recent oil price volatility. Indeed, the firm once again secured a key role on Sea Drill’s recent bankruptcy filing, this time advising an ad hoc group of new secured noteholders (having had a role for the unsecured bondholders on the original Chapter 11 filed in 2017). The ‘commercial and strategic’ James Terry  led on this matter and is also known for his specialism for energy and offshore sector issuers in the Nordic high yield market. The ‘calm and composed‘ Emma Simmonds  ‘works very well with other advisers’ and is a key member of a team that also includes the ‘very hardworking’ Liz Osborne  , who is ‘super smart and a great advocate for her clients’ and the ‘thorough, knowledgeable and responsive’ Tom Bannister. Lois Deasey left for Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP.