Clifford Chance LLP

Tapping into a ‘breadth of experience and market leading know how’, Clifford Chance LLP frequently has a seat at the table for key stakeholders in high-value and complex restructurings/insolvency, where it is noted for its ’focus on providing commercial solutions’. Although the firm does handle some UK-focused mandates, its true sweet-spot lies in its ability to provide multi-disciplinary teams across offices on big-ticket international restructurings. Lender-led creditor work remains a core focus, an area that David Towers continues to excel on behalf of commercial banks and development finance institutions, as well as alternative lenders. The ‘responsive and approachable’ John MacLennan and Iain White, who ’combines a can-do attitude with an impeccable client service’, are also well-regarded by financial institutions as creditors, although the scope of their work is much broader to also include alternative investors and debtor mandates. As well as her work on international restructurings (particularly those with a nexus to the Middle East), Melissa Coakley has also been at the forefront of a number of high-profile UK situations, including her work for embattled retailer Matalan on its high-profile recapitalisation. A ‘motivational leader’, team head Philip Hertz ‘s ’embrace of teamwork ensures the best solutions are devised’ for an eclectic client base that includes banks, funds and office holders.