Charles Russell Speechlys LLP

Financial services, real estate and construction, retail and leisure; litigation and dispute resolution.

Roger is one of the lead restructuring partners working on the firm’s appointment as the external administrator of Awal Bank (with balance sheet assets of cUS$6bn) on behalf of the Central Bank of Bahrain. Roger has considerable cross-border insolvency expertise and works with companies and professionals in a variety of jurisdictions. Roger specialises in insolvency matters, with particular expertise in property-related insolvency issues, including disclaimer, LPA receiverships, rent as an expense claim (Roger was involved (for the landlord) in the 2012 High Court case of Lazari v Game UK) and all insolvency aspects of commercial landlord and tenant situations. Roger is also recognised for his expertise in dealing with matrimonial homes and trust issues arising in bankruptcy. He acts on behalf of insolvency practitioners and landlords facing property issues arising in the context of formal insolvency procedures, as well as advising companies on mechanisms to restructure their property (and other) liabilities. Roger recently drafted and advised on the successful CVA proposal for the restructuring of the Helena Leisure Group (formerly part of the Luminar Group) of companies’ nightclub businesses. In addition to property-based insolvency work, Roger has significant experience of acting for administrators, liquidators and trustees in bankruptcy on a broad range of asset recovery actions, including undervalue, preference, misfeasance and proceedings under s423. Roger has obtained the CPI insolvency qualification and regularly speaks at external conferences on a variety of insolvency topics.