Leveraging strong traction among IPs and the firm’s institutional funds clients, the ‘exceptionally bright team’ at Macfarlanes LLP continues to pick a significant pipeline of both transactional centred restructuring work and formal insolvency mandates. ’Very accomplished’ team head Jat Bains provides ‘practical advice’ to stakeholders across a range of restructuring-related matters, including as it relates to distressed M&A opportunities for investors and providing strategic advice to private credit funds as creditors in distressed situations. The ’very skilled’ Paul Keddie is the principal contact for formal insolvency work and as well as regularly handling work for officeholders has also picked a considerable amount of debtor-side work in the retail space, including numerous situations that have utilised the restructuring plan.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'They are responsive, sensible and collaborative in their approach.'
  • 'The team are not only highly professional technical experts in all areas of R&I work across a number of sectors, but they are very personable and maintain an ability to offer solid practical and commercial advice in a succinct, intelligible and engaging way.'
  • 'It is an exceptional, bright and practical team.'
  • 'The excellent Jat Bains provides practical advice.'
  • 'Jat Bains is clearly very accomplished in this field and a highly regarded practitioner.'
  • 'Paul Keddie is a very skilled lawyer, who is incredibly responsive and proactive.'

Key clients

  • Superdry plc
  • Ares Management
  • Dobbies Garden Centres
  • Eternity Sky Investments
  • Onto Holdings Limited
  • Bank J. Safra Sarasin
  • Anglian Windows
  • Aldgate Education Topco Limited
  • The Body Shop Canada Limited
  • Geoffrey Osborne Limited

Work highlights

Advised global fashion brand, Superdry, on its Part 26A restructuring plan and related capital measures and refinancing.
Advised Dobbies, the UK’s largest chain of garden centres and which is owned by Ares, on a Part 26A restructuring plan.
Advised Eternity Sky on a petition for an insolvency administration order against the estate of Zhang Xhenxin (Mr Zhang).

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

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Next Generation Partners

Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

Jat Bains

Other key lawyers

Paul Keddie; Lois Horne; Simon Beale; Amy Creed; Tim Bromley-White; Natalie Peacock; Thomas Birt; Adam Ridley