![Ged Barnes](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/1700_1088862.jpg)
Insolvency and corporate recovery
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
![Ged Barnes](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/1700_1088862.jpg)
![Andrew Buchanan](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2022/10/Andrew-Buchanan.png)
Hall of fameGateley Legal
Andrew heads up the Restructuring Advisory unit and specialises in advising upon corporate strategy and trading whilst under financial pressure, often during the twilight zone, and is predominantly based in the North West and London. This advice requires a solutions-driven approach with Andrew often accepting the lead advisor role to highlight transactional and corporate restructuring solutions.
Andrew acts for private and public companies, financial institutions, funders and other stakeholders. He has recently represented our surety clients upon a number of very significant restructuring assignments.
Andrew regularly advises Boards of Directors and other stakeholders upon directors' duties and trading issues. This experience can frequently lead to the formulation of transactional and other restructuring solutions, both solvent and insolvent.
Andrew has worked with a range of household names and sectors in which he has experience include automotive, aerospace, retail, manufacturing, technology, care homes, real estate and professional services. Andrew often works closely with colleagues who specialise in providing solutions for pension deficits.
![Sarah Teal](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/04/Sarah-Teal-scaled.jpg)
![Robert Russell](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/07/robert.russell_chr.jpg)
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
![Joey Byrne](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/3093_1089404.jpg)
Freeths LLP
Joey is national head of restructuring and insolvency at Freeths. His particular speciality is contentious insolvency matters and, in particular, asset recovery.
![Kevin Pinkerton](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/3093_1108145.jpg)
Freeths LLP
Partner and qualified insolvency practitioner dealing with all aspects of corporate recovery and insolvency with a particular focus on non-contentious work arising out of administrations. Advises insolvency practitioners, directors, creditors and individuals on a wide range of issues arising from financial distress.
![Stuart Tait](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/5306_1201087.jpg)
Gateley Legal
Stuart specialises in acting for debtors and for lending syndicates, banks, funds and other financial institutions in consensual and non-consensual restructurings, for investors in distressed acquisitions and for insolvency practitioners during pre-packaged and unplanned insolvency processes. He works predominantly in the North West and London. He advises on realising and maximising value in distressed situations, including consensual workouts and restructurings, whether these are delivered through distressed sales, enforcement, insolvency processes or distressed debt trading.
![Richard Wolff](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2022/09/Richard-Wolff-1-scaled.jpg)
![Paul Spence](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/8740_1151422.jpg)
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
![Sarah Duignan](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/1701_1197371.jpg)
![Bethan Moore](/cdn-cgi/image/width=256/https://www.legal500.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/07/4414_1256360.jpg)
Shoosmiths LLP
Bethan Moore is a partner in the Corporate Restructuring and Advisory team.
Bethan has a particular focus on non-contentious restructuring, corporate recovery and turnaround mandates.
Bethan's clients include banks, asset based lenders, financial institutions, insolvency practitioners, directors and other key stakeholders in financially distressed businesses. She has extensive experience advising lenders, insolvency practitioners and receivers on distressed real estate.
Bethan has substantial experience in the retail sector; having worked on a number of recent high profile retail sector insolvencies and restructurings.
Her recent experience includes:
- advising the administrators of a high profile fashion retailer on the disposals of its real estate portfolio, including the sale of its online sales distribution centre;
- advising the administrators on all aspects arising out of the trading administration of a group of companies operating in the travel and leisure sector. Specifically, advising the administrators on the transfer of the group's portfolio of circa 40 hotels;
- advising a funder on the restructuring of a group of companies operating in the construction sector;
- advising the special servicer and receiver of a portfolio of circa 30 retail stores; and
- advising an asset based lender on the funding and restructuring of a group of companies operating in the recruitment sector.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Freeths LLP
Miles deals with all aspects of corporate and personal insolvency, acting in respect of a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious issues. He acts for both national and regional insolvency practitioners as well as company directors, debtors and creditors.In terms of personal insolvency, Miles regularly advises and acts in respect of Possession and Sale Applications, Income Payments Orders, Suspension of Discharge from Bankruptcy Applications, Delivery up and Examination Orders, Transaction at Undervalue, Preference and Excessive Pension Contribution Claims, Bankruptcy Petitions and Annulment Applications.Miles’ corporate insolvency experience includes acting in respect of Administrations, Appointment, Business and asset sales/purchases, Post Appointment Advice, Liquidations, Office holder investigations, Delivery up and Examination Orders, Antecedent Transaction Claims, and Winding Up Petitions.