Restructuring/Insolvency

Kavan Gunaratna advises primarily on insolvency matters with a commercial or property slant. His broad practice also encompasses chancery and commercial matters. He is well liked by clients, who applaud his intelligence and top-quality advocacy. He is a popular choice for local government bodies and counts major banks and lenders among his clients.

"Kavan is clever and measured. He's a go-to for complex issues involving property and insolvency. His ability to rapidly assimilate difficult facts and come up with clever solutions really stands out."

"He is good in contentious insolvency matters, fraud, judgment enforcement and asset recovery. He is a very good advocate - totally unflappable and hard-working."

"No case is too complicated or messy for Kavan. He assimilates vast amounts of information at speed and then steers a pragmatic course."

Niall McCulloch concentrates his practice on company insolvency. He regularly handles both domestic and international matters, appearing in domestic courts such as the Court of Appeal and the High Court, as well as in the British Virgin Islands. He regularly acts for liquidators in actions brought against directors.

"Niall is an absolute pleasure to deal with. He is exceptionally bright, very technical and has meticulous attention to detail. His written work is also very good and thorough."

"Niall is an excellent advocate. He has a persuasive nature about him which is effective."

"He is a deep thinker who is equally able to walk clients through his advice and agree a clear strategy."

Hugo Groves is an experienced insolvency practitioner. Groves has particular expertise in dealing with business, partnership and commercial disputes, often with a cross-border element. He is adept at handling both corporate and personal insolvency.

"Hugo Groves is Mr Insolvency. He knows the area inside and out."

"An accomplished and knowledgeable barrister who always seems to get the right result."

Stephen Davies KC is a highly experienced silk fielding considerable expertise in a wide range of restructuring and insolvency matters. He is adept at acting for a wide range of stakeholders in insolvency litigation and is regularly instructed in high-profile and complex cases.

"Stephen Davies is brilliant."

Amit Gupta regularly acts on officer misfeasance cases, often involving some aspects of fraud. He is instructed on behalf of a broad client base of liquidators, administrators and companies.

"He combines great technical knowledge with a gregarious, personable nature."

"Amit is seen in very difficult cases and has a brilliant poker face. He has the ability to fight back from hard starting points and can turn things around effectively."

"Amit Gupta is strong in insolvency matters. He is very responsive, proactive, user-friendly and communicative."

Geoffrey Zelin remains a popular choice for big-ticket insolvency cases, accepting instructions from a broad client base including liquidators, receivers and administrators. His corporate insolvency expertise includes cases concerning asset recovery claims, professional negligence claims and retrospective administration orders.

"Geoffrey has a brilliant legal brain, is thorough and is exceptionally good at case management."

James Davies is particularly adept at handling cross-border insolvency issues. With expertise spanning both corporate and personal insolvency, Davies has notable experience in bankruptcy and winding-up petitions as well as in applications to remove office holders.

"He has excellent judgement in court and is able to get things across, making him a determined advocate."

"James is very approachable and provides concise advice. He gets to the core of problems and provides pragmatic solutions."

"James is a great advocate. He is tenacious in cross-examination and has great attention to detail."

James Pickering KC is a highly sought-after practitioner at the insolvency Bar who regularly handles high-profile, multimillion-pound disputes. His areas of expertise include guarantee claims and fraud trials, alongside proceedings arising out of cryptocurrency debt. He acts for a diverse portfolio of clients that include administrators, liquidators and lenders.

"James is an outstanding KC with a great eye for detail and a commercial approach, even in the most complex matters."

Madeline Dixon is a talented commercial chancery barrister who is regularly instructed in both corporate and personal insolvency proceedings. She has experience acting for insolvency office holders and private individuals, and is well versed in winding-up petitions, disputed bankruptcies and cases involving allegations of misfeasance.

"James is a vastly experienced and yet entirely approachable barrister, happy to discuss a case or point in a straightforward manner."

Phillip Gale focuses his practice on insolvency, commercial and property law. He frequently acts as sole counsel and represents limited companies, administrators and liquidators in freezing orders, administrations and personal insolvencies.

"Phillip combines good technical detail with a collaborative approach to his instructions."

"He is a technical, commercial and friendly lawyer."

"Phillip is pleasant to deal with, courteous and professional."

Simon Johnson is a well-regarded junior experienced in the handling of both corporate and personal insolvencies. He acts for a broad range of clients, including creditors, debtors and insolvency office holders, and is regularly called upon to defend challenges to office holder appointments.

"Simon is a first-rate barrister who produces high-quality advice."

"Simon is phenomenal. He is urbane, charming and smooth in his advocacy. He's an effective lawyer."

"Simon is very sophisticated and competent."

Mairi Innes is an up-and-coming junior with commercial and insolvency litigation expertise. Both led and unled, she is often instructed by trustees in bankruptcy in related insolvency proceedings. She also has experience in winding-up petitions.

"Mairi is an effective junior and is able to handle complex fraud claims. Mairi instils confidence in her clients, as she has the grasp of the key issues."

"She assimilates difficult and complex matters quickly and provides excellent skeleton arguments."