John is a partner in our Restructuring and Insolvency Group and advises clients on all aspects of Irish insolvency and restructuring law and procedures, and related special situations and transactions.

John specialises in restructuring and insolvency law, with particular emphasis on corporate restructuring, through both formal and informal procedures. He has represented clients of the firm with respect to many of the highest profile and complex restructuring and insolvency cases in Ireland over the last ten years, and has extensive experience in all aspects of company law, distressed M&A and the purchase and work-out of distressed debt assets. John represents all classes of creditors, debtors, investors, insolvency practitioners, regulators and other stakeholders in relation to the safeguarding of their interests, the discharge of their duties and the mitigation of risk and potential liabilities.

Relevant Experience

  • Advising various private equity funds, including Bain Capital, Apollo, Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Carval Investors, Kennedy Wilson, Midwest Capital and Tetrarch Capital in relation to acquisition and / or the subsequent restructuring of portfolios of various non-performing loan assets
  • Advising the board of directors of Avaya Corporation’s Irish subsidiaries in relation to the Irish law implications of the Chapter 11 filing by its US parent, and the successful emergence from those bankruptcy proceedings
  • Advising Mallinckrodt plc and its Irish subsidiaries in relation to various restructuring matters
  • Advising Chartered Land and its principal shareholders in relation to the consensual restructuring of debts acquired by an Allianz/Hammerson plc joint venture which involved the sale of the Jewel portfolio assets (including Dundrum Town Centre among other prime retail assets)
  • Advising the board of directors and shareholders of Lamington Road DAC in relation to its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings
  • Advising the independent non-executive directors of the Waypoint Leasing group in relation to the proposed restructuring of the business and their duties under Irish law
  • Advising the Department of Finance in relation to the special liquidation of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited, including the drafting of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Act 2013 and Ministerial Instructions and Directions issued to the special liquidators under that Act
  • Advising the Central Bank of Ireland on all matters relating to the exercise of its resolution powers under the Central Bank and Credit Institutions (Resolution) Act 2011, BRRD and resolution generally.  Cases to date include advising the Central Bank with respect to (a) directed transfers of the business and undertakings of various credit unions (b) liquidations of credit unions and (c) the recent administration and subsequent liquidation of CBL Insurance Europe DAC