In situations involving financial pressure, timing and clarity are important. Lenders, investors, directors, private equity houses, and insolvency practitioners require legal partners who can act quickly, offer commercial insights, and protect their interests.

Shoosmiths’ Corporate Restructuring & Advisory team provides legal services across a wide range of restructuring and insolvency matters. This includes contingency planning, distressed acquisitions, and formal insolvency procedures, with an emphasis on technical expertise and practical solutions.

Our team is known for its responsiveness, commerciality and ability to coordinate seamlessly across disciplines—whether advising on cross-border group restructures, acting for administrators on high-profile trading insolvencies, or helping directors navigate their duties in difficult times.

The team has experience with complex assignments, including business disposals for insolvency practitioners and acquisitions for corporate clients. Having acted on more retail CVAs than any other law firm, Shoosmiths is now widely known in the restructuring community as the go-to law firm for CVAs and Restructuring Plans, particularly in the retail sector, winning roles on a number of large, well-known businesses going through restructuring processes.

We are a leading force in the Restructuring Plan space, recognised for pioneering innovative and forward-thinking solutions; delivering creative solutions tailored to complex challenges.

• advised Hilco Capital on the strategic acquisition and refinancing of Lakeland via management buyout and funding package

• advised Quantuma, the UK liquidators of La Perla on a landmark cross-border insolvency involving complex EU restructuring and asset recovery

• advised PwC as administrators of Wilko Limited and related entities on all aspects of the administration of the UK’s highest-profile insolvency of 2023

• advised OutsideClinic on court-approved Restructuring Plan, securing creditor support including HMRC to ensure financial stability

• advised Grant Thornton as administrators of The Crazy Bear Hotel Group, the internationally renowned bespoke hotel group

• FRP as administrators of Braintree Group on trading administration and high-value sale of Braintree Retail Park