Lucy is an experienced restructuring and insolvency lawyer with a practical, solutions-focused approach and ability to guide clients through complex challenges. She works with a diverse range of clients, including insolvency practitioners, banks, asset-based lenders, private companies, and company directors, providing advice across all aspects of restructuring and insolvency.
Expertise
Lucy has experience working on complex corporate restructurings, including the implementation of a number of Company Voluntary Arrangements, advising on a contested Restructuring Plan and in connection with a number of Schemes of Arrangement and Capital Reductions in the Public sphere.
Lucy’s insolvency practice covers transactional and quasi-contentious matters. Her experience extends to advising both buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposal of distressed businesses, including pre-pack administration sales and accelerated M&A transactions. Lucy is adept at managing the legal and commercial aspects of these deals, ensuring that clients achieve the best possible outcomes in challenging circumstances.
She regularly advises insolvency practitioners on issues arising from their appointments, including asset sales, collections, property, employment and regulatory matters, and has advised both insolvency practitioners and former directors and officers in respect of claims against directors arising from an insolvency estate.
Lucy also advises lenders on the validity and enforcement of security, and supports directors in understanding their duties during periods of financial distress. Lucy has significant experience preparing and advising on a wide range of insolvency-related court applications, including defending claims such as transfers at an undervalue.
Selected Experience
- Cross-border and contested restructuring: Lucy played a leading role in the contested Part 26A restructuring plan of Madagascar Oil Limited, demonstrating her ability to navigate high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional matters. Lucy has also acted in a number of challenges to CVAs, both Company side in the high-profile legal challenge to the CVA of a well-known high street retailer and acting for a group of creditors in a successful High Court appeal to the rejection of claims in a CVA.
- Complex administrations: Lucy acted for the administrators in the trading administrations of a large group of companies comprising of Braintree Village outlet centre in all matters arising in the administration including coordinating all real-estate arising from the trading supporting the high-value property sale She also managed the complex administration of Allseas Global Project Logistics Limited, a cross-border freight forwarder, and previously acted for the administrators of ASA Resource Group, an international mining group, assisting on a number of workstreams including cross-border asset sales, creditor distributions and exit of the administration in an administration where the Company was ultimately returned to solvency.
- Insolvency Sales & Distressed M&A: Lucy has acted for a number of sellers and buyers of business and assets, both from insolvency estates and on a solvent going-concern basis. This includes acting in the purchase and sale respectively of the business and assets of boutique fitness brands Frame and Digme, and in the accelerated purchase and onward sale of the Oasis and Warehouse retail brands to Boohoo.
- Director and board advisory: Lucy has advised boards and directors of companies facing liquidity challenges, including providing contingency planning and directors duties advice to the board of a large online gift retailer, and defended the former directors of a consulting business in a £4 million TUV claim from officeholders.