Located within the firm’s broader commercial dispute resolution department, the insolvency and corporate recovery team at Ward Hadaway LLP stands out for its strength in the mid-market, adeptly handling the full range of contentious and non-contentious insolvency-related work. Acting for corporate stakeholders, individuals, creditors, businesses, and public sector bodies, the group demonstrates particular proficiency in restructurings, post-insolvency issues, and personal insolvency matters. Practice leadership is shared by Steven Petrie, who leads the broader commercial dispute resolution department, and Jane Garvin, who heads the insolvency sub-group across the firm’s Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle offices. Petrie has particular experience in personal insolvency matters and regularly advises creditors on recovery strategies, while Garvin is recommended for insolvent business sales and asset recovery claims. The core team also includes Claire Robertson, who takes point on bankruptcy petitions and annulment applications for private clients.
Insolvency and corporate recovery in North
Ward Hadaway LLP
Practice head(s):
Steven Petrie; Jane Garvin
Other key lawyers:
Claire Robertson
Key clients
FRP Advisory
Mazars
Interpath
KBL Advisory
Manolete
Begbies Traynor
Grant Thornton
RSM
Quantuma
Opus
Work highlights
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
Well regarded for its capabilities in corporate insolvency matters and investigations following corporate failures, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP counts boards of directors, individual and mainstream lenders, and businesses among its impressive roster of clients. Sally Dallow, Julian Gill, and Peter Maxwell jointly steer the practice, with Dallow advising on large investigations and insolvency defence, and Gill, who leads the firm's non-contentious offering, attracting praise for his ‘vast amount of knowledge, experience, and strong commercial acumen’. Maxwell is the key contact for companies and individuals facing misfeasance, fraud, and misconduct charges prior to formal insolvency. They are well supported by Alex Kirtley, who focuses on contentious work.
Practice head(s):
Peter Maxwell; Sally Dallow; Julian Gill
Other key lawyers:
Alex Kirtley
Testimonials
‘Julian Gill is now the statesperson of North East insolvency lawyers with a vast amount of knowledge and experience and strong commercial acumen to boot.’
‘Good team collaboration. Good access to engaged partners and very strong associates. I like their communication style and they are effective at managing client expectations. ’
‘The partner I deal with most, Peter Maxwell has a detailed grasp of the case and a good communication style.’
Key clients
BDO
Begbies Traynor
FRP Advisory
Grant Thornton
The Insolvency Service
Interpath Advisory
Manolete Partners
McTear Williams & Wood
Mazars
Moore Kingston Smith
RSM UK
Springfields Advisory
Lloyds Bank
Santander
Work highlights
- Acting for the administrators of Together Energy Limited and Together Energy Retail Limited as the contracting parties for the wholesale gas and electricity supply to 175,000 customers.
- Acting for the Administrators of the Northcare Limited Group, comprising a group of seven companies which operated a number of pharmacies across the North of England, including advising in relation to the sales of the business and assets of two of the trading companies.
- Acting for the official receiver in an investigation following the collapse into insolvency of the Carillion group, and subsequently acting for the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (CDDA) proceedings against eight former directors of Carillion plc.
Clarke Mairs Law Limited
Clarke Mairs Law Limited multifaceted caseload extends to pre-insolvency advice, restructurings and reorganisations, liquidations, and administrations, and general bankruptcy advice for both personal and corporate clients. Recently, the team has seen an uptick in instructions relating to misfeasance claims and disqualifications following the misuse of furlough and Covid-related loan schemes. A key contact for contentious matters, the ‘tactically astute’ Paul Rushworth is a key contact for contentious matters and frequently acts for directors and stakeholders in insolvency litigation. Rushworth is well-supported by the ‘fantastic’ Alexandra Rose, whose capabilities encompass enforcement work and reviewable transaction claims. Louise Ager, who has a ‘laser focus on what really matters in a dispute,’ handles insolvency-related property mandates and is another key member of the team.
Practice head(s):
Paul Rushworth
Other key lawyers:
Louise Ager; Alexandra Rose
Testimonials
‘They are excellent in all fields in which I employ them, in particular, corporate insolvency matters.’
‘Excellent client service with advice which can be relied upon.’
‘Paul Rushworth and Louise Ager are supported by a highly competent staff. Each of the individuals we deal with is supportive, commercial and responsive. The staff is always ready to find an appropriate solution to any issue put before them.’
Key clients
FRP Advisory Trading Limited
Begbies Traynor
KSA Group
Manolete Partners Plc
Northpoint Associates
Freeman Rich Insolvency
PS Wallace Insolvency
Muckle LLP
Businesses in distress, lenders and creditors, and liquidators frequently seek the expertise of Muckle LLP in matters concerning debt recovery, investigations, and matters of directors’ conduct. Practice head Louise Duffy is a key name for liquidator-led investigations, while Laura Keegan has a broad practice that spans both contentious and non-contentious work with a significant emphasis on advising directors facing the liquidation of companies. Sarah Farish is highly recommended by clients for insolvency work in the engineering sector.
Practice head(s):
Louise Duffy
Other key lawyers:
Laura keegan; Sarah Farish
Testimonials
‘Always very professional and prompt with all communication. Very informative and knowledgeable.’
‘Sarah Farish kept a very high standard of client care. She always kept me updated and was always contactable.’
‘The team at Muckle are very approachable and can easily adapt to have someone on hand who can assist in any scenario that we may come across.’
‘Sarah Farish within the insolvency team is extremely personable whilst providing pragmatic legal guidance which makes her a joy to work with.’
‘I really like Laura Keegan and Sarah Farish. ’
‘Muckle have an excellent team across all it’s disciplines. The team members are approachable from trainees up to the partnership team.’
‘Laura Keegan provides an outstanding level of service. ’
‘Laura Keegan is one of the best younger insolvency lawyers around. Technically very competent and she can express her advice and arguments in correspondence much better than most of her contemporaries. She really knows how to get a point across both in writing and orally.’
Key clients
Leonard Curtis Recovery Limited
FRP Advisory Trading Limited
Interpath
Begbies Traynor
Opus Restructuring
Express Engineering Limited
Northpoint Associates
RMT Accountants and Business Advisory
Manolete Partners PLC
Gentoo Group Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Leonard Curtis Recovery regarding a company that went into creditors voluntary liquidation, utilising our specialism in directors’ misfeasance claims.
- Advised and assisted LDC Private Equity backed Express Engineering through the pre-pack process and the purchase of the business and assets of Q.A Weld Tech when the latter called in administrators.
- Advising Begbies Traynor Group when a charitable further education provider went into liquidation, with a substantial book debt shown as owing by a former group company.