Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP
Although it remains relatively compact in comparison with some ranked peer firms, Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP‘s partner-led team ’punch well above their weight’ for a creditor/investor-focused client base engaged in a myriad complex restructuring and distressed and special situations investing matters. ‘Very calm through difficult situations’, team head Graham Lane leads from the front, providing ’clear, commercial advice that cuts through the complex legal knots’, including for funds seeking to capitalise on restructuring opportunities and to protect and optimise existing investments. Much of the workflow is multi-jurisdictional, with clients benefiting from access to lawyers on the ground across both Europe and US. Edward Downer and Iben Madsen round at the team at partner level, and are both also adept at working with fund clients in particular, both as creditors and investors. At an associate level, Alexander Roy is ‘incredibly creative’ on behalf of corporates, IPs and funds; he recently worked alongside Lane for the debtor in what was the first use of a restructuring plan involving a regulated healthcare business in the UK.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'It is a small team of impressive lawyers who punch well above their weight.'
- 'The team were very pragmatic in their approach and were always considering the client/commercial view which supported us in making good, informed decisions.'
- 'They offer clear, commercial advice that cuts through the complex legal knots.'
- 'Graham Lane is fantastic.'
- 'Graham Lane is an outstanding professional. A delight to work with. He is very calm through difficult situations, and steps up as a trusted adviser to proactively lead his client and transactions.'
- 'Graham Lane and Alexander Roy are both incredibly creative in terms of finding solutions and workarounds before they become problems.'
Key clients
- Steerco of unsecured creditors of Orpea
- GLAS
- Official committee of unsecured creditors of SAS
- Kroll
- Lifeways Group
- Searchlight Capital Partners
- Third Point
- Monarch Alternative Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Lifeways, the UK’s largest provider of supported living services for adults with complex needs, on the first ever UK restructuring plan involving a Care Quality Commission-regulated business in the UK, and one of only a handful of restructuring plans in the UK since their introduction by new legislation in 2020.
- Continued to advise GLAS in its capacity as trustee of a group of convertible bondholders with respect to the administration of Intu Properties, the owner and operator of a number of large shopping centres in the UK and internationally.
- Advising a group of independent directors in connection with the UK law aspects of the $5bn bankruptcy of Cineworld, the world’s second-biggest cinema chain.
Lawyers
Rising stars
Leading individuals
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Graham Lane is a partner in the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department and Co-Chair of the European Restructuring Group. He advises stakeholders in all types of restructuring and insolvency matters, with a particular focus on complex cross-border projects. Graham is frequently called upon to: (i) act for par and distressed investors in both "yield" and "loan to own" scenarios; (ii) act for large multinational debtor groups in the negotiation, documentation and implementation of complex and frequently hostile restructuring transactions; (iii) act for private equity and venture capital investors seeking to capitalise on restructuring opportunities and to protect and optimise existing investments; and (iv) provide advice and guidance for insolvency practitioners, particularly in connection with novel and ground-breaking issues arising from "COMI shifts" and pre-packaged administrations. Graham has gained extensive experience from playing key roles in some of the largest and most noteworthy market-leading restructurings of the last decade, including Intu, Lecta, Europcar, Agrokor, Premier Oil, Travelodge, Klöckner Pentaplast, MF Global and European Directories. He is also known for his broad experience in the French market having been involved in CGG, Vivarte, Latécoère, Eurotunnel and other significant French restructurings.
Next Generation Partners
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Edward Downer is a partner in the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department. With extensive experience in international financial restructurings, distressed debt investment and stressed and distressed financings, Edward is a go-to adviser for clients investing or involved in financial distress situations. He has developed a broad restructuring practice in the UK, Europe, Australia and the US, representing distressed debt investors, special situations lenders, distressed companies and other finance parties including bank and non-bank trustee companies.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Iben Madsen is our People & Development Partner, responsible for the training and development of lawyers in the London office. Prior to moving into the People & Development role, Iben was a partner in the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department. She gained extensive experience advising all types of stakeholders (including debtors, creditors and insolvency practitioners) on restructurings, insolvency proceedings, acquisitions and disposals of stressed and distressed businesses. Iben gained particular experience in handling complex, cross-border mandates, such as Intu, Lecta, Proserv, Premier Oil, CGG, Core Media Group, Monier and Travelodge. She has also regularly been called upon to advise a range of stakeholders in the special situations sphere.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Graham Lane