Often working in a very cohesive fashion with the firm’s private equity, banking and capital markets offerings, as well as lawyers from across its European and US offices, the ‘innovative and progressive’ team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP is excellent at finding ’commercial angles’ for investors and creditors across the spectrum of stressed, distressed and cross-border restructuring mandates. The ‘responsive’ Graham Lane has been key to the firm’s success, including on special situations strategies, and has an excellent relationship with private equity, hedge and private credit funds, which he advises across a raft of complex situations, including in the French market. The well-connected Simon Baskerville co-heads the team with Lane and has a broad offering that also features funds-related work (including as ad-hoc creditor committees), as well as debtor mandates, some of which is spawned from firmwide institutional private equity relationships. The ’highly commercial and strategic’ Edward Downer is also recommended for his distressed debt investment expertise. Iben Madsen departed the team in December 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team has an unwavering dedication to delivering the best for their clients and is complemented by their ability to collaborate seamlessly with others in the industry.'
- 'This is a firm you go to if you want a team on your side that is au fait with the cutting edge of restructuring technology and unphased by complex cross-border issues.'
‘A very hungry, innovative and progressive practice - always looking for commercial angles for their clients.’
'What sets this practice apart is its reputation for innovative, commercially-minded solutions, particularly in complex, cross-border matters.'
'Graham Lane is responsive, a pleasure to work with, and excellent at getting to the root of the problem.'
'Simon Baskerville has a good reputation in the bondholder market for the big restructurings.'
Key clients
- Steerco of bondholders of Lowell Group
- Ad hoc committee of bondholders of Stonegate group
- Ad hoc committee of lenders to Steinhoff Europe
- Ad hoc committee of bondholders of Anacap Financial Europe (AFE)
- Official committee of unsecured creditors of SAS AB
- Dynata LLC
- Kroll
- Motors.co.uk
- Securis Investment Partners
Work highlights
Represents an ad hoc group of senior secured noteholders in relation to the ongoing recapitalisation of the Lowell Group, which has obtained the support from over 90% of the senior secured noteholders.
Represented an ad hoc group of senior secured noteholders in respect of the fully underwritten refinancing of over £2.1bn of senior secured notes issued by the Stonegate group.
Represented the official committee of unsecured creditors of SAS AB and its 13 affiliate debtors in their Chapter 11 cases in the US and reorganisation proceedings in Sweden.
Lawyers
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Next Generation Partners
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Practice head
Graham Lane; Simon Baskerville
Other key lawyers
Edward Downer; Jason Taylor; Antonia Pegg